A New Hope: Reimagined
by Lauren Kassidy's Muse
Summary: Story One. Mara Kanos is sent to Tatooine to command a Rebel Base in Anchorhead. During her secret work, she meets Luke Skywalker and his friends, becoming a part of the local community. She was the one who knew Luke before he became known to the Galaxy as the kid who blew up the Death Star. Luke/OC & Wedge/OC.
1. Chapter One

Author's Note: Hey readers! This is my very first attempt at a Star Wars fanfiction, which is exciting for me to write something new! I will not pretend to know a lot about this universe, but I have done a lot of research online to hopefully write a decent story. It will eventually be a Luke/OC story, as he definitely needs more lovin'.

The first ten (ish) chapters will be pre-A New Hope, and then it will follow the timeline, through not only the films but also following much of the Expanded Universe, to the best of my ability, with potentially a little bit of AU thrown into the mix. There will of course be more than one fic for each section of Mara's life.

I hope you enjoy! Any reviews will be gratefully appreciated, especially as this is my first Star Wars story, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

* * *

**Story One, A New Hope: Reimagined**

Chapter One

_The Old Republic was the Republic of legend, greater than distance or time. No need to note where it was or whence it came, only to know that … it was the Republic._

_Once, under the wise rule of the Senate and the protection of the Jedi Knights, the Republic thrived and grew. But as often happens when wealth and power pass beyond the admirable and attain the awesome, then appear those evil ones who have greed to match._

_So it was with the Republic at its height. Like the greatest of trees, able to withstand any external attack, the Republic rotted from within though the danger was not visible from the outside._

_Aided and abetted by restless, power-hungry individuals within the government, and the massive organs of commerce, the ambitious Senator Palpatine caused himself to be elected President of the Republic. He promised to reunite the disaffected among the people and to restore the remembered glory of the Republic._

_Once secure in office he declared himself Emperor, shutting himself away from the populace. Soon he was controlled by the very assistants and boot-lickers he had appointed to high office, and the cries of the people for justice did not reach his ears._

_Having exterminated through treachery and deception the Jedi Knights, guardians of justice in the galaxy, the Imperial governors and bureaucrats prepared to institute a reign of terror among the disheartened worlds of the galaxy. Many used the Imperial forces and the name of the increasingly isolated Emperor to further their own personal ambitions._

_But a small number of systems rebelled at these new outrages. Declaring themselves opposed to the New Order they began the great battle to restore the Old Republic._

_From the beginning they were vastly outnumbered by the systems held in thrall by the Emperor. In those first dark days it seemed certain the bright flame of resistance would be extinguished before it could cast the light of new truth across the galaxy of oppressed and beaten peoples…_

_**From the First Saga**_

**Journal of the Whills**

* * *

"You want me to go _where_?"

Mara Kanos folded her arms, leaning against a small ship that Leia Organa was apparently now giving to her, in their Yavin base. She had not been back all that long from her latest undercover mission but this was a crucial time for the Alliance and there was certainly no slowing down. For the first time in her life the Alliance was giving her a meaningful purpose, and it was here she met her true friends, those who would be willing to even die for you. Leia was the Minister of State in the Cabinet, working under Chief of State Mon Mothma - Mara would happily leave the politics to others, often wondering how Leia was still off the Empire's radar. She was a princess and had taken over her father's role in the Senate, but only so much diplomatic immunity could save her...

"Tatooine," Leia repeated, putting her hands on her hips. "You are one of the greatest under-covers in this Alliance. You helped us learn of the existence of the Death Star and that there will be a convoy in the near future carrying its plans...but that has come at a cost."

"What do you mean?" Mara asked nervously.

"You are now well known to the Empire for being a Rebel spy," Leia informed her. "Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma believe you should lay low for a while, stay out of sight for a few months or so."

Mara sighed. "Are you sure that it's what's best?"

Leia nodded. "You have no blood family, so we have no-one to protect but you. You are an essential member of this Alliance and we cannot afford to lose you now. Tatooine is in the Arkanis sector in the Outer Rim Territories, and the Civil War has distracted Imperial forces from those planets. You should not be detected."

"Well I have heard that it is the cesspool of the galaxy," Mara mumbled.

"Nothing you can't handle, I'm sure," Leia said smugly, smiling slightly.

"What am I to do in Tatooine?" Mara asked her.

"You are to establish a base there, in a small town called Anchorhead. You will be its commander. The purpose of this base will be to find and train pilots for the Alliance and to be a staging point for operations to purchase black market weapons."

"Sounds reasonable," Mara said, perking up slightly. She knew Tatooine had no rebel base, one of the very few planets with no Rebel presence at all, only perhaps a few sympathizers. Well, it looked like she was going to change that.

"You will be met by one of our contacts to help you get set up and recruit members," Leia explained. "He wanted to join the Alliance so this will be his first mission, before he leaves Tatooine permanently."

"I guess I am to fly him to you when we are done," Mara guessed.

"Correct. His name is Roger Stern and he will meet you in the spaceport town of Mos Eisley, and I have co-ordinates for there," Leia further explained. "Turland Hack and Merrick Simms will be stationed with you, as their mission is to personally train new pilots."

Mara smiled at this, as Hack and Simms were great pilots and also good friends of hers. She would be glad of some company in Tatooine. "I will not fail you."

"I know," Leia reassured her, smiling.

"What's next for you?" Mara asked her, standing up straight and inspecting her new ship. It was fairly small, but obviously bigger than something like an X-Wing. It would hold about five passengers or so.

"We are waiting to hear about when the Death Star plans will be in flight."

"And then you'll capture them."

"Right. But that could be a while yet. The Empire knows that we have found out about their new weapon, and things are..quiet, to say the least." Leia sighed.

"Commander Kanos!" Mara looked past Leia to see her friend and fellow pilot Wedge Antilles heading towards them, with a smile on his face.

"Wedge," Mara acknowledged. She had a lot of respect for him, having been his leader on many of her undercover missions, but also his fellow team member as a part of the Rebel Air Force. Mara was slightly unusual in that she had piloted under various commanders but was also usually in command when it came to special under-cover missions and the like. It was her forte. She definitely liked the freedom that came with fighting for the Alliance as she could switch various roles.

"We've heard that you will be leaving soon for another under-cover mission," he said, somewhat sadly. "So we've decided to hold a little 'send-off' for you."

"Really?" she asked, shocked. "That's really nice...thank you, Wedge."

"Nah, don't mention it," he said, holding an arm out for her to take. "Come on, everyone's waiting."

"Now?"

"Go, enjoy yourself," Leia instructed, patting Mara's arm. "I'll see you in the morning."

They bade goodbye to the princess and Mara followed Wedge, her arm still in his, to where all of the pilots relax in their downtime. "It's a shame you're leaving," Wedge sighed. "It feels like you've only just got back."

"Yeah, it was a shock, but I think I need this. To get away from everything..." She trailed off, and bit her lip. She hadn't opened up to Wedge as much as she usually would have, as her last mission was hard. Physically and mentally. And there was no getting over it. Not yet.

"Understandable," Wedge said softly. "It sounded brutal, what you went through." Mara nodded. "We were worried about you."

She couldn't help but smile at his concern. "I was one of the lucky ones."

"Maybe," he replied. "Or maybe you're the best at what you do. Whatever it is, you _survived. _And you came back."

"I lost a lot of people. Under my command."

"I know," he murmured. "But your mission was successful. You did what you had to do, you all did."

"Kill or be killed," Mara sighed. "For weeks it was like that."

They reached the pilots quarters and stopped outside. "It's something you'll probably never get over, Mara," Wedge said, his hands on her arms as he looked at her straight. "And that's OK. God knows we'll all be wrecks by the time this is all over."

She laughed. "True." She lifted a hand up and caressed Wedge's, that was still on her arm.

"I admire you," Wedge admitted. "I admire your loyalty, your calmness under fire, your commitment. Whatever happened out there, you were the best person for the job."

She didn't know what to say to the pilot, as he doesn't just hand out compliments. And he was great himself, and he knew it. Though luckily for them he was usually humble about it. He had gripped Mara's hand in his own, from her arm. They were just standing there, Mara wondering what Wedge wanted to say as it looked like he wanted to say more, but...she wasn't sure how she felt about him, but there was _something_ there. They both probably knew it, but it was unspoken.

The door swung open, and Jek Porkins, Cesi Eirriss (or Doc as they called her) and Jal Te Gniev stood in the doorway. "We thought we heard voices!" said Jal, ushering them inside. Mara's hand dropped from Wedge's, but Porkins and Doc shared a knowing look. But it wouldn't be just Wedge who would miss her, they all would.

And nothing was better than spending her last night with her fellow pilots, playing sabacc and drinking Corellian ale. Mara knew she would miss the camaraderie.

* * *

Mara stood by her ship, having packed all of the possessions she owned. Which was not much, seeing as her parents abandoned her when she was very young and she has had to make her own way through life ever since. She had bade goodbye to many friends the previous evening, and also had a briefing from Ackbar and Mothma that morning. Everything was ready.

"I'll see you soon," Mara promised Leia, who had come to see her off, before noticing her friends Nolan Gillmunn, Ananda Dwyce and Talia Reede approaching them.

"I will leave you to say your goodbyes," Leia said, touching her arm tenderly and smiling. "Keep in touch as much as you can."

Mara nodded and turned to look at her fellow Alliance members sadly; the four of them had been together through thick and thin, joining the Alliance at the same time. They had found each other as lost souls wandering the Galaxy. They had other jobs in the Alliance so it was not often they were stationed together. With a bit of luck, Nolan landed in the night.

"Don't look so glum!" Talia said, somewhat optimistically, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You have worked so hard for the Alliance and you deserve this mission, Commander."

"Even so, I shall miss you all terribly," Mara insisted, hugging Talia.

"We'll miss you too," Ananda sighed. "It'll be no fun without you!"

Nolan smiled; he was older than the three women, and Mara would miss his guidance. She was only twenty years old, but loved having an older-brother figure around. "Be safe, Mara. We'll be here when your mission is complete, don't you worry now."

"There's nothing dangerous for us to do now you're going," Ani joked, referring to Mara's past assignments.

She smiled, and turned to look at her new ship. It would be a little lonely, travelling to Tatooine from Yavin 4, but there were worse journeys to make, Mara supposed. She stood there for a few moments, mentally preparing herself for her journey across the stars alone. She felt a comforting hand squeeze her shoulder—it was time.

Mara climbed aboard her little ship and, before she knew it, her friends were nothing more than specs on the ground and the clouds parted, to make way for darkness and stars.

Destination—Tatooine.

* * *

It was a vast shining globe and it cast a light of lambent topaz into space - but it was not a sun. Mara suspected that the planet of Tatooine had fooled many men into thinking it was a third sun, until entering close orbit and realising it was a world in a binary system. From this view it looked like no human could ever survive on such a planet. But Tatooine circled the huge G1 and G2 stars far enough out to permit the development of a very hot, and stable, climate. Mara was to later find out that the unusual starlike yellow glow would be down to double sunlight striking sodium-rich sands and flats. She would also learn that it was an old settlers' saying that you could burn your eyes out faster by staring straight and hard at the sun-scorched flatlands than by looking directly at its two huge suns themselves, so powerful was the penetrating glare reflected from those endless wastes.

When Mara arrived in Mos Eisley, landing in a private docking bay as instructed, she thought that the spaceport had exceeded its own expectations. In that it was even worse than she imagined.

Tatooine was a desert planet, and as she stepped off the ship Mara definitely knew she needed new clothes to keep her cool. The heat and the rays of the sunshine was very intense and that was something that she would probably struggle to get used to. Roger Stern was waiting there for her. He was not much taller than Mara herself, with a mess of brown hair and a face which sported a few scars, causing Mara to wonder what had happened to him before joining the Alliance.

Having met with her contact, Mara had the opportunity to look around and saw that Mos Eisley appeared as a haphazard collage of low-grade duracrete, stone, and plastoid structures. A lot of the dwellings consisted of the dome-roofed, adobe building-style. All sorts of species roamed the place as they squeezed past everybody, and Roger briefed her on the Tatooine lifestyle, including the native Tusken Raiders, Jawas, slavery, crime lords, moisture farmers...a small garrison of stormtroopers was stationed in Mos Eisley but paid no heed to the huge crime rate.

"It may take a while for you to settle in, Commander, but there are some of us who don't participate in crime," Roger told her as she looked skeptical over how much success she would have here. "I have made contact with potential Rebel sympathisers and others who I believe would join the cause."

Mara nodded. "It looks like you've been busy. Have you found a location for our base?"

Roger looked pleased with himself. "I have, Commander. I have dug a base into Beggar's Canyon, near Anchorhead. I have also secretly purchased a cafe in Anchorhead itself, as the owner recently passed away, as a small staging point for operations. You are its new owner."

"Not a bad a cover at all. You have done very well, Roger," Mara told him, smiling. He was probably about the same age as she was, obviously dissatisfied with his way of life; she could hardly blame him. His home city was Bestina, the capital of Tatooine, and Roger decided to try and make contact with the Rebellion after stormtroopers took the side of a crime lord, who was successful in capturing and enslaving his entire family. By the time he found them, it was too late. They were dead for resisting enslavement.

That was the Rebellion all over, really. People who were nursing heartbreak, or swearing revenge. Or both.

But there was no time to dwell on the past. Mara was extremely pleased that Roger had everything ready to go; she would certainly report his efforts to her superiors. She held her hand out for him so shake. "Well, Roger, I think you and I will get on just fine."

They were to travel to Anchorhead by landspeeder. Mara left her ship in Roger's hangar, and it was to only be used when she is no longer Commander.

"I understand that you are only stationed here temporarily, is that right?" Roger asked her as she flew them 80 kilometers south. The sand twirled around them, and that was all they could see, aside from mountains in the distance.

"Yes. I do a lot of undercover work but it's believed that the Empire knows my identity, so I have to lay low for a while," Mara explained. "I could endanger the Rebellion, and I guess our most crucial time is approaching."

"I received word that the undercover spies found out about the news of a new super weapon being built by the Empire."

"We did, at the cost of many lives," Mara said sadly. She immediately thought of Wedge Antilles, who had practically thrown himself at her and kissed her, happy with the news that she was one of the very few who made it back. She smiled a little bit, as she definitely had a soft spot for her fellow pilot, something her friends teased her about mercilessly. "But I think that they'll send us word once they propose to steal the plans from the Empire. I would like to know, having been a part of it and all."

"Of course."

They soon reached Anchorhead; Mara parked her ship in an old garage, and Roger filled her in on the surrounding area. "Anchorhead is a part of the Great Chott salt flat region, at the edge of the Jundland Wastes. That area should be treated with extreme caution, Commander, as the nomadic Tusken tribes wander around there. But Anchorhead is mainly an outpost for moisture farmers, you'll be pleased to know, and is governed by the Anchorhead Municipal Council. The atmosphere yields its mositure with reluctance, you see, and it has to be coaxed down out of the hard sky - well, coaxed, forced, yanked down to the surface. That's what the moisture farmers do."

Mara took in this information, and pondered what she would tell people if they ask her where she is from. Roger had said during their trip from Mos Eisley that usually only people who are running away from something settle in Tatooine. She decided on being a distant relation of the dead cafe owner, claiming her inheritance and telling the residents, if they ask, that her stay here is only temporary. That should, hopefully, do the trick.

It was fairly busy, it being the middle of the day. There was a market, a couple of cantinas, many shops. This town was inhabited mainly by humans, and also seemed to be a meeting point for many people Mara's age. She did get a couple of looks wearing an outfit that wasn't quite suitable for the weather: her long boots, and her long-sleeve shirt that was tucked into her skinny trousers, made her stick out as a stranger. As did her duffle bag which she was carrying, and was sure some people eyed her blaster, hanging by her leg, wearlily.

"People will catch on that you'll be trading on the black market," Roger warned as they entered the cafe, which was closed, showing Mara how to lock it back down. "But then, most people dabble with it so it won't be a problem. It's a huge, profitable industry here."

A little while later, Roger left to start work on the Anchorhead base. Mara found some fresh clothes as she had living quarters in the cafe's basement, changing into a basic white tunic, boots and a robe to throw on over the top. Her blaster was tucked underneath it, safely. Looking through the old owner's business papers, she would need to get in touch with his old suppliers, and do a deal with a local moisture farmer for a water supply.

Leaning back in her chair and enjoying respite from the harsh climate, Mara revelled in the silence of the cafe and the gentle hum of people outside. She missed her closest friends, Ani, Talia, Nolan. Leia was a good friend of hers, too, though she rarely embarked on really close friendships with many people. And then there was Wedge. Nothing had actually happened since he had kissed her a few weeks ago, if anything they were acting like it never happened...she didn't know if she wanted anything to happen anyway, but there was something there. He had told her last night when the party had ended that he would miss her, and kissed her cheek tenderly. Mara knew of many people who were romantically involved and members of the Rebellion, probably due to the fact that nobody knew when their last day was going to be, but she had never really met anybody. Sure, men had shown an interest, before she made contact with the Rebellion and afterwards, but nothing had ever gotten serious.

If Tatooine was anything to go by, Mara would certainly not be meeting anybody here, that's for sure. There would be no distractions, not here, apart from meeting potential new allies at her base.

But that was something exciting in itself. She was a Commander. Of a Rebel Base. A lot rested on her shoulders, and she was relieved that Hack and Simms would be joining her tomorrow with pilots who need further Alliance training. Her efforts for the Alliance had definitely paid off, even if she was no longer a part of Operation Skyhook.

But, for now, the Anchorhead base of the planet Tatooine was her new priority._ I had best get to work._


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"Who is _that_?"

Luke Skywalker looked up at the sound of Windy's voice, following his eyeline to the old café. Everyone else did the same. There was a young woman and a young man approaching the front door, but they all knew Windy meant the girl. She was wearing clothes that were not often seen due to the heat; it also suggested she was a pilot or even a captain. Her smooth brunette hair glinted in the sunlight as it fell down her back. She was even carrying a blaster, and not many of Luke's friends owned one, considering this girl looked about the same age as Luke, Deacon and Windy.

"Oh you used to work in that cafe, didn't ya' Windy?" Fixer asked him. "Is it opening up again?"

"Not that I know of," Windy replied, shrugging.

Deacon, grinning, noticed Luke looking at her as she disappeared inside, almost in awe. "Don't even think about it, Wormie. A girl like that won't be interested in ya'." Luke looked away quickly, slightly embarrassed.

"Lay off, Deak," Biggs Darklighter said sharply.

"She's not _that_ pretty anyway," Camie said, scowling. Her arms were folded as she glared at her oblivious boyfriend Fixer.

"Is she planning on sticking around do you think?" Tank asked his friends, as they all lost interest in the market stalls around them. "I still haven't got a date for the Municipal Council's party."

Fixer laughed out loud. "Like she'd go with you. You're all dreamin'." He put an arm around Camie's shoulders. "_I've_ got my dream date."

She seemed pleased again. "What about you Biggs? Who're you going with?"

"Kandji," he said bluntly, winking at Luke, who smiled and shook his head. "Hey, fancy a race?"

They had approached their landspeeders. One of their favourite things to do was race, the constant competition was one way of keeping their lives charged. And both Luke and Biggs had become excellent pilots; racing their spacehoppers through Beggar's Canyon meant they pushed each other to the limit.

Luke smiled widely, "Need you even ask, Biggs?" For now, his mind was taken off the stranger. Because he had felt something in his mind. Something he hadn't felt for a long time.

* * *

Mara was flicking through the old books and papers that belonged to the owner before he died, in her quarters below the café wearing her new clothes. It was the following day after her arrival, as she arrived into Tatooine in the late afternoon, and after dark it was apparently too dangerous to go out outside of Anchorhead due to the Sand People.

Luckily for her, the owner, Avilatan, had kept a record of absolutely everything. She copied down his previous suppliers, based on what sold best. Well, first he made an absolute killing making Ahrisa, a spicy food made of greens and soypro, a meat substitute. She would definitely get the ingredients for that. And then there were the popular snacks such as 'nausage', served with 'dustcrepes' (though Mara had no idea what these were), and Tatooine flatbread. Blue milk and a non-alcoholic version of Jawa Juice were just some drinks that used to be served here...it could take a couple of hours to get everything.

She also looked at his former employees. One boy was about her age, and maybe he was still unemployed, or would come back if tempted with higher wages. It was only a cozy little place so there would be no need to hire many people, and hopefully there would be no need to hire somebody completely new to it. The Rebel Base came first and the employees needed to be trusted to handle this place when she's not in.

She stopped her work and rubbed her temples with her fingers. _It's back again_. She grimaced and shut her eyes to block out the light. Why was it suddenly back again? Ever since she could remember, Mara had these headaches. Sometimes they were pretty painful, but usually they were just irritating. A burden. As if something was trying to burst through her brain, almost as if she was being called to _inside_ her own head. The droids who examined her in the past could find nothing wrong with her - the diagnosis was that she was healthy.

Which was even more alarming to Mara.

She had first felt a twinge when she stood outside the café earlier. If only she knew what had set it off again. But what _was_ trying to break through? It can't be anything good. Ever since her childhood her brain had been trained to fight it. _Go away, go AWAY!_ She screamed inside her head, clutching the side of her face.

Eventually, as it always does, it began to fade away. Mara breathed slowly, cursing the migraine. That was her first one in such a long time. Sure, the dull aches always came and went, but never the pain. Not usually like this.

"Must be the bloody stress," Mara muttered, standing up with her notes, intent on getting the café up and running as soon as possible.

To the suppliers who were not based in Anchorhead for some of the food, Mara got into contact with them via hologram. When she had finished she explored the café upstairs, seeing she had a small office, a small bathroom for customers, an oval shaped area when the employees make the coffee and the food, and then a few communal tables and chairs in front of the breakfast bar; this bar separated the work area from the customers.

Mara looked around the place, feeling confident. This could definitely work. As soon as she visited everybody in Anchorhead that she needed to, things would be working in no time. Who knows, she might even have a bit of fun, make some new friends, have non-Rebel Alliance conversations. Be _normal_.

Exiting the café and locking up, she headed for her parked landspeeder, feeling the heat after a long time in her air-conditioned apartment. However, she was wearing much more suitable clothing and it wasn't quite so unbearable. Wondering how Roger was getting on with the new base, Mara headed to the contacts on her list, one by one striking a deal for a supply they provided, until all she had to do was find employees.

She shook hands with her final supplier of the day, who was an Eopie owner. They were the meat Mara needed for her Eopie briskets and Eopie cream pies. "Where can I find a Windy Starkiller?"

"Tosche station," the man replied without hesitation. "His friends usually hang out there." He peered at her notes. "You're looking for a water supply from the Lars' family too eh? Their nephew will be at the station as well, I expect."

After thanking him and listening to his directions, Mara headed towards Tosche Station, which was apparently a power and distribution station, so she wondered why a group of friends hung out there. Maybe one of them owned it. It was outside of Anchorhead, as Mara learnt that many people actually lived outside of the outpost, on their farms or homesteads. Eventually she pulled up outside it - it was the same style as most of the other buildings she had seen so far on Tatooine, an adobe building made of a low-grade stone. Walking briskly up the steps she rounded a corner, down another set of stairs and into a tucked away, narrow doorway, minding the step down. It was a dark room, but cool, and she was surrounded by supplies such as power converters, and an advertisement on the wall showed services provided such as vehicle repairs and equipment recharging. There were only two people in there, two guys, leaning against a table and talking animatedly. However they both looked up quickly as Mara entered, the older one looking a bit surprised and the blonde one looking at her curiously, though not unkindly.

"Hey," she greeted, approaching them, so they stood up straight. "To cut straight to it, is Windy Starkiller around here?"

"You don't hang around do ya'?" the older one joked. He wore a smart jacket and shirt tucked into black trousers. His clothes definitely matched his confident vibe that Mara could sense. He had wavy dark hair, and a moustache.

"Long first day," she explained, returning his smile.

"'First' day?" he repeated. "So you're sticking around?"

"Looks like it. I'm taking over Avilatan's Café in Anchorhead."

"Ah, well that would explain why you're looking for Windy," he said. "How did you-?"

"Hey guys…" Mara turned to where another doorway stood, as a young, dark-haired man was just walking through it. "Oh, hello."

"Windy, this kid wants to see you about something," the guy, who was now behind her, told him.

"Oh you're Windy Starkiller?" Mara asked him, as they approached each other.

"The one and only," he said, grinning and shaking her hand.

"I'm Mara, I'm the new owner of-"

"-Avilatan's. Yeah I know."

"How?" she asked, not masking the surprise in her voice.

"Oh we saw you outside the place yesterday," he said matter-of-factly.

"Makes sense," she mused. Windy sat down on a table, clearing some of the junk to one side and motioned for Mara to join him. They could hear the other two talking in the background. "So I was just wondering about your current employment...it would be of great help if you came back to work at the café."

"Consider me hired."

"And of course I...wait, what?" Mara stared at him for a second, wondering if he was joking. "Just like that?"

He shrugged. "I'm helping out my folks at their place, I don't have my _own_ job. When do I start?"

"Wow, that was easier than I expected," Mara said, laughing slightly. "Can you come in tomorrow? I've got supplies coming in in the afternoon and I would appreciate the help."

"Already?" he said, looking impressed. "You really don't hang around."

"So I've been told."

"Tomorrow is fine," he confirmed, smiling again. He had a cheeky-chap charm about him.

"Great."

"Are you heading to Kay Tallon's place now?" Windy asked her.

"I am actually," she confirmed, standing up. "Oh, I almost forgot - is Luke Skywalker here too?"

Before Windy could reply, the blonde from earlier spoke up. "That's me." She turned and for the first time looked at him properly. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, and looked...well, Mara didn't expect to find somebody with his disposition in Tatooine. He smiled kindly, looking slightly pleased she had asked for him.

"Oh hey Luke," she greeted, returning to him and his friend. "I just wanted to ask you about your family's moisture farm - would your aunt and uncle sell water to the café again?"

"I don't see why not," he said optimistically.

"Can I stop by sometime? I know it's your home and I wouldn't want to intrude," she said, feeling somewhat nervous. Why was she nervous?

A few more young people filed into the station, as the friends laughed and joked with each other. The moustache man joined in too. "Do you want to go outside?" Luke asked her, referencing to the loud chatter. Mara nodded and she stepped back through the narrow doorway and outside, her eyes adjusting to the bright light.

"Can you come by the farm tomorrow morning?" Luke asked her hopefully. "I'll let my aunt and uncle know. And you won't be intruding, so don't worry about that," he added as an afterthought.

"Sure. Thank you."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, how come you've moved here?" he asked her curiously. "It's not often we see someone new."

"Oh...er, well Avilatan was a distant relation of mine, but I had never met him, and I inherited the café. I don't usually settle down in one place, I move around a lot…" The funny thing was, she felt like she could have told him the whole Anchorhead base plan there and then. She felt at ease around him.

He nodded in understanding. "Well, I hope Tatooine hasn't disappointed you too much so far," he joked.

"It's not all bad," she said quietly, looking up at him. He smiled in thanks, blushing slightly. She cleared her throat, "So I'd best be going. I've still got a few things to do before it gets dark."

He nodded. "Well it was nice meeting you," he told her honestly. "Oh, wait - I didn't catch your name."

"Mara. Mara Kanos," she told him, retreating down the steps. "Bye Luke."

She could feel him watching her as she jumped into her landspeeder and flew away, back towards Anchorhead, feeling that nagging ache in her head once more. She still needed to visit a couple more old employees and then finally visit the base, what she was _actually_ in Tatooine for. She couldn't get too distracted by the business, and by meeting new people who weren't involved in the Rebellion.

Right?

* * *

It was late afternoon and Mara was now flying through Beggar's Canyon, with Roger by her side, as he directed her to the base. He had to chose a careful place, away from the detection of Tusken Raiders and of the local kids who fly through here for kicks. The canyon itself was absolutely massive, and she praised Roger on navigating it to find the best location. The towering walls and the constant twists and turns, not to mention what Roger called the _Stone Needle_, made it a thrilling ride. The Stone Needle was a very tall rock formation that looked like a huge stone tower, with a 'loop' rock on top of it - it indeed looked very much like a huge needle, but the inside of the loop was lined with jagged rock teeth. Apparently pilots would show off their piloting skills by 'threading the needle', but nobody around these parts had ever done it. Not in living memory, anyway. It was something legendary.

Mara approached a cut into the rockface, and flew inside, until they came to an undercover landing bay, where a few other ships were already sitting. They were Incom T-16 skyhoppers, ready and waiting to train rookie pilots within the canyon. Mara and Roger jumped out of her landspeeder, and headed further inside and underground, coming to a control room. Roger also showed her the room for downtime, the rec room, as well as some living quarters for certain trainees, and a small but communal canteen.

"Excellent," Mara said to Roger sincerely. "I cannot tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done so far, I'll be letting our superiors know of your hard work Roger."

"It's my pleasure Commander," he assured her. "It...takes my mind off things, keeping busy."

"I understand," she sighed. She too didn't want to think of the past too much. After her parents disappeared she took work where she could find it, whether it was scavenging, smuggling, or other odd jobs. Once she was kidnapped and sold into slavery, but owing to her self-taught skills she escaped soon enough. It wasn't easy being a teenager and growing up this way, but it showed Mara who her real friends were.

"And I can't take all of the credit," Roger said, smiling knowingly. "I had some help."

"Who?" Just as Mara asked the question, Turland Hack and Merrick Simms walked through the door. They were both in the thirties or forties, but the age difference didn't stop the friendship she had struck up with her fellow pilots.

"Hey Mara," greeted Simms, giving her a hug. She felt his stubble tickle her face before he released her. "How are ya' doing?"

"All the better for seeing you guys," she teased, hugging Hack; his usually long brown hair was tied up into a bun. "I didn't expect to see you so soon!"

"Well, we thought we'd help with the set-up," Hack explained. "After you and your crew found out that there was a huge superweapon being built, Mon Mothma is currently working out where we go from here, so there's not much action for anyone."

Mara nodded. "What the hell can we do in the face of the galaxy's biggest space station? Until we know what we're up against, that is. I told Leia before we left that we need to steal plans of some sort to figure this thing out."

"Speaking of the Princess…" Simms said slowly. "You know of course she's a member of the Senate. There's been some gossip amongst the diplomats that she might be a secret member of the Alliance."

Mara's eyes widened. "She didn't mention that to me before I left Yavin…"

"She received a hologram from her father, a warning, just before we left," Simms explained.

"She could put the whole of Alderaan in danger," Mara thought aloud. "And her father, as he's been a double agent for years."

"That's the worry. She's left Yavin for a while," said Hack.

"Blimey, I bet Mon Mothma had to force her to leave."

"Practically threw her into the ship," Simms grinned. "That princess never stops."

"She hated being an 'anonymous friend in the Senate', and now she'll hate going back home and not doing anything," Mara said thoughtfully, thinking of her friend. They all sat down around one of the screens in the control room, the beeping continuing around them.

"So is it true what they're saying? About your undercover work, finding out about the new superweapon?" Hack asked her eagerly.

"I don't know, what are they saying?" she asked. "Hardly anyone made it back alive so I can imagine there are errors in their stories."

"That you were posing as inmates at the Stars' End prison."

"That's right. We met Wookie slave labourers, and they told one of my team, a girl called Lynn, as she spoke Wookieespeak. They told us that they were working on a top-secret project which wouldn't be announced publicly until well after it had been finished. They had been building it for years and it still wasn't quite complete. When we escaped the prison, taking the Wookie slaves with us of course, our next mission was to rescue the other slaves who were on _Toral_, an imperial BFF-1 bulk freighter. After examining the documents we learnt of a the existence of a convoy of weapons, so we assaulted it and and obtained Imperial communications satellites." She paused and saw Roger, Hack and Simms listening to her intently. "We had had enough by this point, and Imperial ships were on our tail still. Most of the team was dead, some were injured so we headed for the AX-235 outpost and looked at the schematics we had transmitted. I'll never forget when I first saw the _Death Star_ hologram. But, they weren't exactly detailed plans, with no way of finding out how we could possibly destroy it. Apparently the plans were separated, so the Alliance would have to take these plans from three different locations to get a complete picture."

They all sat in silence for a few minutes as they shouldered the news of a huge superweapon, potentially hovering above their heads right now. "After you left the outpost, you returned to the Alliance?" Roger asked her.

"We actually went to Dantooine first, and we found the message that they had relocated to Yavin," Mara explained. "And then, the very few who had survived, returned to base."

"Everyone was so relieved to see you Mara," Simms told her honestly. She smiled as she remembered Nolan and Talia jumping on herself and Ani, who made it back in one piece.

"Especially Antilles," Hack teased, winking at Mara.

"Oh shut up," she said, though smiling a little. Her smile faded and she sighed, "It was a hard few weeks."

"The Alliance owes you all a huge deal," Hack stated.

Shrugging, she said, "So how is Wedge? Still a show-off? I've only been gone a day or so and I'm sure nothing has changed there."

"Missing you again," Simms replied, so Mara's smile returned. "But seriously, he's an outstanding pilot. I think he's training starpilots at the moment with Porkins."

"He is outstanding," Mara agreed. "Not long after he first joined the Starfighter Corps he found a secret Imperial research facility, obliterating a whole shipment of prototypes."

"Well it's good these young 'uns can step up as we won't be around forever," joked Simms.

"As long as the Empire continues to hurt and piss people off, you'll be good there," Mara pointed out.

"Very true."

But they couldn't sit down and talk for long. When Mara had finished setting up the base, they left and headed back to their homes. Hack and Simms were, for some reason, staying in Mos Eisley, which she thought was rather unfortunate. Roger lived there too, having moved from the capital permanently. It was too heartbreaking to stay with the memories, and Mara realised why Leia took him on - because that's what she does. She rescues Rebel sympathisers, in more ways than one.

The day was not yet over for Mara and Roger. They headed into the basement of the café when they returned to Anchorhead and met with their black market contact, Ezra Bridger. He said he didn't care what he was selling to them and for what purpose, as long as they paid him for whatever weapons he could get his hands on. He was a broad-shouldered, well-built man with tattoos and scars and Mara suspected he may have Rebel sympathies.

"I don't sell weapons to just anyone," he told them firmly. "But Stern seemed straight and so do you, Kanos. I use the money to help free slaves and keep the weapons away from the bad people. Got it?"

Mara actually admired him as they shook hands. "I think Tatooine needs more people like you, Bridger."

She noticed his small smile. They finished their negotiations over days to meet (so Mara wouldn't be away at the base) and he left, leaving Roger. "You know, Mara, Tatooine also needs more people like you."

"And you," she added.

"But I believe that you're making a difference here, commanding a base," he insisted. "You're bringing hope to those who live in this desolate place, who otherwise wouldn't have made contact with the Rebellion."

Mara looked at him at his truly humbling words. And suddenly, it all felt worth it.

* * *

"Then you've got yourself a deal." Mara smiled widely and shook hands with Owen Lars, as they stood in the blistering heat atop the Lars homestead, standing next to one of the many moisture vaporators that was scattered across their property. It was actually quite far out from Anchorhead, and most of their home was underground. When Mara first arrived she peered into a huge living pit, a crater that housed a courtyard where you could access various rooms. There was a dome building which Mara guessed was the entrance to the rooms below.

They had done business over the water supply. Owen seemed nice enough, he definitely knew his stuff...he seemed like a tough but fair man, staid too. "So is Luke around?"

"Yeah he's in the garage working on our V-35. Want me to fetch him?" Owen seemed surprised she was asking after him.

"No, no, if he's busy. Just tell him I stopped by and said hello though would you?"

"Sure," he agreed. "Hope to see you soon, then."

They bade goodbye to each other and Mara strolled over to her landspeeder. But before she hopped in, however, someone called her name. "Mara!"

She turned around and saw Luke Skywalker briskly walking towards her, so she met him halfway. "Oh, hey Luke." He grinned. "I would have said hello but your Uncle said you were busy-"

"Oh I've just finished making some repairs," he explained, gesturing to their garage behind the entrance dome.

"So you've got good mechanical skills then?"

"I developed a knack for repairing things I guess," he replied, looking happy Mara was taking an interest. "But it's piloting and racing I like...well, most of us do. I can't wait to get out of here and fly among the stars."

"Where would you fly to?"

"Everywhere!" they laughed. "Have you been to many places?"

"Quite a few," Mara answered him. She wouldn't know where to begin. "I could tell you loads of stories."

"You should race with us," Luke said eagerly. "I bet you could show Fixer a thing or two. Have you got a spacehopper?"

She almost slipped up and said 'yes', referring the the ones sitting in the base. "No, I've got a ship in Mos Eisley but it's not for racing. I've only got the landspeeder at the moment."

"Well I'm sure you could borrow someone's hopper for a race," he said. "And we race in our landspeeders as well."

"Where? Out in Beggar's Canyon?"

"Mostly," he said brightly. "So will you join us soon?"

"Sure, why not? Sounds like dangerous fun," Mara said, feeling somewhat excited about taking on Beggar's Canyon.

"Sometimes it makes living on this planet bearable," he said truthfully. "How long are you planning on staying here?"

"Well it's not permanent...I'm not sure to be honest," she said. "What's your plans?"

"I'm trying to convince my Uncle to let me join the Imperial Academy," Luke said, sighing. "I've got to stay on here to help him out…"

"He doesn't seem the adventurous type, so I'm not surprised he wants to keep you where he can see you," Mara said, as they chuckled.

"Luke!" They both turned to see Owen calling for his nephew.

"Alright, I'll be right there!" Luke called back. He turned back to Mara, looking hopeful. "So, er … I think we're going to _The Weary Traveller_ later on for a couple of drinks...do you want to come?"

"You want me to come?" she asked, surprised. She mentally cursed, as she sounded like nobody had asked her out before. On a normal social occasion. _Well, nobody had ever asked her._

He looked surprised too. "Yeah...I'd like it, if you came."

"Ok, then I will. Thanks."

"I'd best get back to my Uncle," Luke said quickly, as if suddenly remembering he had work to do. "I'll see you later, then." They smiled shyly.

She returned his goodbye and headed back to her speeder once more. There was something about this Luke Skywalker, definitely. He was just...different to anyone she had ever met. He didn't seem like he had grown up on Tatooine. And that is probably down to damn good parenting.

And for some reason, she was looking forward to meeting him and his friends...more than she realised. _And that dull ache in her head returned, asking to be let in. _But she wouldn't let it in.

* * *

Author's Note: So that took stupidly long for me to update. Please forgive me! Instead of working on my dissertation I set aside two afternoons to get this written. However it is not properly edited so please excuse any mistakes. The most important thing is that hopefully you enjoyed it! I will aim to update again within the next week, essay work and shift work permitting. Please review :)


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Luke Skywalker sipped his drink and looked up at the doorway at the sound of it opening. But again, it wasn't her. It wasn't Mara Kanos.

"Luke, will you chill out already?" Biggs asked him incredulously. "She'll be here. That's about the tenth time you've looked at the door."

Luke sighed. "Sorry."

Biggs chuckled. "You don't have to apologise, kid. I get it: you practically asked her _out_."

Deak who had overheard this leaned over the table and said, "Forget it. She 'ain't coming, Wormie."

"Yes she is because _Luke_ asked her," Biggs snapped.

"I didn't ask her out Biggs," Luke said quickly. "I just asked her to come out with _us_."

"Sure."

"How did your first day go anyway Windy?" Luke asked his friend, to change the subject.

Windy shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine I guess, it was just a huge delivery of supplies. Mara has recruited old Kay Tallon too."

"When do you open?" Deak asked, with a sly grin. "We'll all come in and order two of everything."

"In a couple of days. And don't you dare, Deak, or I'll - "

Luke didn't pay attention to his threat as the door opened once more. This time, it _was_ Mara.

* * *

Pulling open the door, Mara held it open for Roger, Hack and Simms. After the hard work of everybody over the past couple of days Mara felt they all deserved a drink. She scanned the small cantina and it didn't take her long to spot Luke and his friends. He waved, and she acknowledged that she had seen him with a nod.

"Shall we get a drink first?" Roger suggested, but already heading to the bar. "My round."

Mara ordered a rum; she was pleased to hear from the bartender that it was Corellian rum, a favourite of hers and Wedge Antilles. They took their glasses and headed over to Luke's table. They all greeted each other as the newcomers grabbed some seats, Mara sitting next to Luke.

She was introduced properly to the man with the moustache from yesterday, whose name was Biggs Darklighter. There was also Fixer, who ran Tosche Station, and his girlfriend Camie, who didn't seem all too friendly, Windy, Deacon, and Janek, who everyone called Tank. Mara wasn't surprised - he had huge shoulders and arms and looked like he worked out a lot.

"What're you drinking?" Luke asked Mara.

"Rum. What to try some?" She held out her glass. He took it and sipped, pulling a face, which made Mara laugh. "It takes a while to get used to it."

Luke nodded to agree, clearing his throat. "Yeah, no kidding." He grinned at her, and she almost faltered. He was so attractive, but also just so kind. And he seemed a bit naive about the world too, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. They seemed to be about the same age but oh how different their lives were. "So how do you know those guys?"

Luke nodded towards her three companions as they chatted away to Biggs and Tank. "Oh, well Hack and Simms I've known for a while. They came with me so I wasn't completely alone, and Roger we all met only a couple of days ago. He helped us out with settling in." _Ok, good so far. Not technically lies._ "Have you always lived here?"

Tatooine was indeed his home planet, and his aunt and uncle raised him from birth as his parents are dead. Luke told her sadly that his father had died during his mother's pregnancy and she then died during childbirth. His aunt and uncle and father all hailed from Tatooine but his mother was from somewhere else; apparently they didn't know much about her. There were no graves for them either as they died elsewhere.

"Oh Luke I'm sorry," Mara said sadly. Someone like Luke didn't deserve that start to life.

"It's OK, really," he said. "I didn't know them. Owen and Beru are the best parents I could ask for."

"Lucky," Mara muttered, finishing her rum. She looked up at Luke from her glass, who had cocked his head.

"Don't you...don't you have any family?" he asked her timidly.

"No. My parents left when I was about five," Mara said casually.

"Left?"

"Yeah. Don't know why. They just...left me." Mara stared back into her glass. "I can barely remember it now, but what I do remember was that they were scared. I don't know what of. My father got angry at me, but I don't know what I did. I just can't remember." She snapped out of her trance, pushing the image of a young Mara, walking into her parent's bedroom the following morning and finding their beds cold and empty, out of her mind. "I'm really sorry, I don't know why I told you that."

"I don't mind," he reassured her. "What did you do? When they left, I mean."

"I moved around a lot," Mara explained. She noticed Simms and Biggs getting up and heading back to the bar as the others talked around them. "I initially stayed at a family friend's house, until she died - I was about twelve or thirteen then. Luckily she had taught me how to be a pilot so with the money I saved I bought a ship and I left after her funeral. That was my home planet, Corellia, and I haven't been back since."

"Wow," he breathed.

"I met some good people and we stuck with each other: Nolan, Ani and Talia. We traveled and moved about, working with whatever we could find until…" Mara almost mentioned the Alliance, again. As she thought before, she felt like she could tell Luke everything. But she thought of the cafe and made up a quick story. "And it somehow got to me that Avilatan was a very distant relative and well...here I am."

She thought of how she learned to become an excellent pilot as she was the only one who could fly anything properly; Nolan was the negotiator and dealt with any admin (he was now working for the political side of the Alliance); Ani was the fighter out of all of them, having had to defend herself on Coruscant's underworld (she taught Mara her self-defence skills and why she accompanied Mara on her undercover missions) and Talia was a mechanic, and also handy with first-aid. All of them, though, were experts in blending in with a new community. The Alliance to Restore the Republic called to them after about five or six years of living that kind of life, and they were fit for service. They had witnessed firsthand on many systems the oppression and tyranny of the Empire and decided enough was enough. Mara was immediately called into the Alliance military, usually switching between the Starfighter Corps and commanding her own undercover missions.

But then, that was the reason she was probably offered the Commander job here. She needed a respite from the death and destruction that came with the job. It wasn't _really_ anything to do with keeping a low profile. Leia knew this, and that's most likely why she pitched the idea to Mon Mothma. That's what she does best: knows people well, and often saves them from themselves, not just the Empire.

"Here ya' go Mara," said Biggs, as he replenished her rum and handed Luke another drink. "Luke."

"Thanks," she said gratefully.

Biggs pulled up a chair and sat by Mara. He sat confidently, putting an arm behind Mara's back and resting it atop her own chair. "So, I hear you'll be racing with us soon. Reckon you can take on Beggar's Canyon?"

"I think I might be able to manage it," she mused. "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

"Alright, looks like I will," he said, smiling. "You know, we're heading out there in a few days when my hopper is repaired. I need all the practice I can get, tagging womp rats especially."

"Why's that?"

"I've applied to the Imperial Navy Academy," he explained, grinning.

"Oh...wow, good for you." Though, Mara sounded like she thought the complete opposite. Well, she would, being an Alliance member.

Biggs frowned but their conversation was interrupted by Tank. "I'm heading to the Imperial Army myself," he said, obviously overhearing what they're talking about. Mara looked over at Luke who had turned his attentions away from her fellow pilots. He looked sad that his two friends were getting out of Tatooine without him.

"Only because you didn't test well enough to get into the Naval Academy," Biggs teased.

"I _chose_ to go into the army I'll have ya' know, Darklighter."

Mara leaned over to Luke. "Do you wish you were going too?"

"I've deferred my application," he muttered. "I'll go, someday."

"Don't rule anything else out though," Mara said gently. She of course couldn't tell him what she meant by that. Yet. "You can do anything. You don't have to wait for the Empire to enlist you."

"Luke, you should just be content with your life as a moisture farmer," Deak said harshly from the other side of the table. "He's watched the Space Academy's Recruitment tape about a million times_._"

"Don't _you_ have any ambition?" Mara hit back before Luke had a chance to defend himself.

"No he doesn't," Biggs answered for him.

"Why are you here then Kanos?" Deak challenged. "If you're so full of ambition and 'well-traveled' what landed you here? Are ya' running away from something?"

"Yeah, I'm a wanted criminal so _watch it_," Mara replied sarcastically, so the others sniggered.

"Yeah, well, I'll make the best of what I've got here," Deak muttered.

"Hear hear," Fixer agreed. "Once I've finished building the podracer I'll throw Camie a lavish wedding and we'll have enough money leftover to - "

"Don't let these guys stop you Luke," Mara told him quietly, ignoring Fixer's big plans. "It's good to have ambitions."

"I just feel like I'll never get out of here," he said. Leaning closer to her as it was beginning to get noisy again, he said excitedly, "So tell me about some places you've been."

"Well, I'd say my favourite planet is Naboo," she said, sighing at the memory. "Oh Luke it's beautiful there, so peaceful…" she told him about the rolling grass plains, the beautiful seas and the huge hills. "We were lucky enough to visit a vacation estate, in an area called the Lake Country. It was entirely surrounded by mountains and valleys and even waterfalls, and we spent a few days in the meadows there."

For a while she told an eager Luke some stories of the planets she had visited, including Coruscant, Alderaan, Corellia, her home planet, and Chandrila. He told her again of his desire to fly among the stars, visit every single planet and even discover new ones that were far away. Hack and Simms also joined in the storytelling, being older than Mara they had a lot of stories.

Even Fixer told a good story of when he invented his own sport of 'sandsurfing.' Apparently, in the sport, a person would wear repulsor disks on their feet and grab onto a set of handles that connected to a sand skiff by a thin cord. But Fixer was determined to be the king, so he programmed a skiff's autopilot to drive itself. "I even managed a double backwards loop," he said proudly.

"Yeah, all of this was going just _swimmingly _until the skiff sped up and took a sharp turn, heading straight for the Great Pit of Carkoon," Biggs then informed them.

"The pit of the Sarlacc?" Roger said gasping. Mara's eyes widened; she had heard of that creature. Apparently it was huge and plant-like, complete with tentacles, and its huge mouth was the only visible body part.

"The very same," said Fixer, clearly enjoying the attention of his story. "I planned for the skiff to take me to the pit. There were ramps of sand on both sides, and I hit the first one perfectly. I was just half a meter short of the second one!"

Camie was looking pale at the memory. "I'll never forget watching Laze hit the side of that damn pit. There was an _explosion_ and everything."

"I was sliding down towards the mouth of the Sarlacc," Fixer said dramatically. "_Unconscious_."

"Luke and I saved him," said Biggs. "I headed over there on my skiff, tied a cord around my waist and jumped down to grab him."

"I saw the tentacles reach out," Luke then said. "I managed to hit one with my punch gun."

"It was a great shot, considering the angle and the range," Biggs said in admiration. "If it wasn't for Luke heading over and pulling us out, I reckon we both would have been gonners."

So Luke's a good shot, can repair things, and apparently is a good pilot. He'd be an asset to the Alliance. But, the base can't take anybody else on as the Alliance were sending them pilots who need to finish their training, and Roger had already filled the other spaces with newbies. And the Alliance was dangerous to work for, anybody Mara got involved could end up dead. And Luke seemed to want to join his friends at the Academy, so she wasn't sure he would even want to join the Alliance...

It was getting late. They all got up together, making their way out of the Cantina.

"We should do this again sometime," Simms said to Biggs as they shook hands before the evening sun. Mara shivered in surprise as it was getting very cool.

"Well thanks for coming," Luke said to her, smiling and putting a hand through his hair nervously. "I had fun."

"Me too. We'll do this again, I owe a couple of people drinks!"

Suddenly, there was a commotion heading their way. A group of local moisture farmers, it seemed, were banded together, holding blasters and torches.

"What the hell's going on?" They all muttered amongst themselves as Biggs asked one of them what they were doing.

"Some girl called Kandji has been kidnapped by a village of Raiders," he replied breathlessly. "We're heading out now to save her before it gets too dark."

Biggs went pale. "I'm coming with you." He called after his father who was apparently in the group of locals.

"Who's Kandji?" Mara asked Luke quietly.

"A local girl Biggs is seeing," Luke muttered back. "I sure hope she's alright."

"Hey Mara," called Hack. "They need everyone with a gun involved. You in?"

"Sure." Luke looked at her worriedly as she pulled her blaster from under her tunic. "What is it?"

"Just...be careful. They don't mess around."

Mara put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't you worry. We'll be OK."

He looked over at Biggs sadly who was talking frantically with the others. Mara squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, and then turned to join the others. Little did she know it would turn out to a nightmare night.

* * *

Mara, riding in her speeder, thought about the evening and the events that had just occurred.

Kandji was dead. According to Roger, Kandji was the victim of a ritual called 'bloodrite.' This was where an adolescent was tasked with proving his hunting skills by capturing and torturing something, sometimes for weeks to extend the pain before eventual death. This one decided to do the ultimate bloodrite and capture a human. From the look of her, she had indeed been tortured, quite brutally; Mara saw her slumped on her knees at first, in their camp. Kandji's head hung lifelessly and her hair covered her face. Blood and sweat was sliding off her body.

Biggs and Kandji's family had cried out in pain at the sight of her. Apparently the Sand People knew they were coming to rescue Kandji, so they murdered her, out of spite. Biggs blamed himself for not bringing her to the cantina, gladly accepting a small hologram of her from her family; he vowed to carry it with him for the rest of his life.

All they could do was take their revenge, and leave with her body. It certainly was an interesting start to Mara's stay in Tatooine.

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this update! I wanted it to be longer as I have Mara's stay on Tatooine all planned out in full, she'll leave the same time as Luke - as a teaser, they won't be leaving together... But that's a few chapters away yet. I have a couple of deadlines approaching so I'll see you all in a couple of weeks, when I'll be free! :)


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

She certainly was different to anybody he had ever met, Luke knew that for sure. In a way, she was the person he wanted to be. Free: a pilot travelling the galaxy, doing whatever she wanted. He couldn't help but think that Mara Kanos was hiding something else. He couldn't explain how he knew this, he just did.

And it wasn't just that. He felt _something_ when he was around her. And he hadn't felt it for a long time, as he thought back to when he first felt it. It was something entirely different, as when he was six years old he managed to locate a lost screwdriver. His mind told him where to find it, even though he definitely didn't put it there. His uncle had been quite angry at the, what he called, 'stunt' and so Luke definitely learned not to do it again. But Mara opened up that something inside him again.

Luke also thought, with a blush, that she was _beautiful_. Her smooth dark brunette hair, her bright round-shaped green eyes...he had noticed her kind and wide smile, complimented by her high cheekbones. She was about Luke's height, maybe a little bit taller, and she walked with confidence; she didn't go over the top with her body language. Confident, yet subtle. He tried to remember all of the details.

Mara also seemed to take an interest in him, asking about his life. She had even said at Tosche Station, when he joked about Tatooine not being too much of a disappointment: _It's not all bad._ She had looked straight at him, and sounded serious. So she had meant Luke. Even though they hadn't long met. Did she feel what he had felt too?

He hadn't seen her for a while, after Kandji was found dead. According to Windy, she wasn't at the café as much as they had expected, largely trusting Kay and Windy to take care of the place for extra wages. They wondered what she got up too during those days. Mara doesn't mention it, so her employees do not ask.

Thankfully Biggs was getting back to his old self, and had been accepted into the Academy and would be leaving soon. Luke didn't blame him for wanting to go as soon as possible, to get away from the bad memories. Because Mara was now his friend, Luke didn't feel too bad that he wasn't going with Biggs.

And his aunt and uncle had noticed this too. They couldn't help but wonder whether Mara Kanos would be the reason Luke would want to stay.

* * *

Mara stood in the control room of the Anchorhead Base, tapping away at one of the control panels. Bleeping sounds surrounded her along with lights flashing from the screens around the room. Everything was going pretty well. They were training some fantastic pilots, and Beggar's Canyon was an excellent teacher. Turland Hack and Merrick Simms were the best at training pilots in the skyhoppers, whilst Mara had promoted Roger to be her second-in-command. He was very humbled, but he had deserved it, in Mara's view.

Once a week, Mara also met her black market contact, Ezra Bridger, in the basement of her café. Sometimes it was a good week, where he acquired decent weapons, but other weeks...not so much. Mara nevertheless would make provisions for the supplies to be sent to the Alliance as soon as she could.

She hadn't seen Biggs Darklighter much since the tragedy with the Sand People, which was now almost a couple of months ago. He was devastated, that much was clear. He was getting back to normal, at least on the outside. And when she last bumped into him he invited her to a race with his friends. But Mara also hadn't seen Luke Skywalker much either, only in passing and always briefly. With the race coming up though, she would soon see his piloting skills.

Biggs had said to Mara, when he invited her along to the race, "I think Luke is looking forward to seeing you." With that, and winking, he strode away. He probably noticed her smile involuntarily at his comment.

Luke Skywalker. He was… Mara didn't even know. He was definitely cute, with his blonde wavy hair, his blue eyes, his dimples when he smiled. She had no idea why his friends called him Wormie. Maybe they were jealous, intimidated. He wanted to leave Tatooine and the farmer life, but they didn't. Or they knew they couldn't. But Mara knew she definitely had a little bit of a crush on him. For some reason, it was irresistible and she gave in to it.

Earlier that day, she had had a holographic meeting with General Jan Dodonna. He was in command of the Alliance Starfighter Corps, Logistics and Supply Corps and of the Rebel Base Yavin 4. He wanted to inform her of the update of Operation Skyhook. Princess Leia, never one for sitting quietly, embarked on a mercy mission to deliver medical supplies and equipment to the Ralltiiri High Council. Really, she was supporting the Ralltiiri resistance movement, giving them weaponry and military-grade equipment, some of which came from Mara's own shipments. There she rescued a wounded Rebel soldier who revealed that the Death Star was real, and was a moon-sized battlestation equipped with a superlaser capable of destroying entire planets. She even tricked Commander Lord Tion, head of the Imperial task force on the planet, into confirming the story. He even gossiped that an Imperial convoy was transporting some of the Death Star plans from Grand Moff Tarkin's headquarters to the Imperial vaults.

There was a stunned silence. Mara knew when she found out about it that it was bad, but capable of destroying a whole planet? If they found a key Rebel Base, that would be it. It would be over.

"If it wasn't for you and your team, we would not have had this head start. So thank you, again. We know a lot was sacrificed for that mission." Mara bowed her head solemnly. She remembered the memorial service that they held when she returned. Actually, it was beautiful. The generals and commanders stepped back and the soldiers took control, to remember those who had fallen properly. "I will keep you updated. We will speak soon, Commander Kanos."

Mara had watched as his image disappeared, reveling in the silence, taking in the devastating information.

Now, though, the end of the day was nearing. She wondered how long she would command this base, how much longer it would take to find the Death Star's location and find the different fragments of plans. To find a weakness. To destroy it.

She was pretty sure she wouldn't sleep much that night.

* * *

On the weekend, during a humid afternoon, Mara met Biggs, Luke, and their friends at Beggar's Canyon. They were all already there, enjoying malt juices. Luke's face lit up when he saw her.

He handed her a drink and everyone greeted her. "Boss," Windy called her.

Their meeting point was tucked away into the Canyon, their own little spot it seemed. They decided to race in two's, and Fixer straight away challenged Darklighter.

Luke and Mara walked up to higher ground to be able to see the friends below. The canyon was absolutely huge so they wouldn't be able to see them most of the time, but Luke opted for the spot where the Stone Needle was visible. The skyhoppers zoomed away, and for a time they couldn't be seen.

"We're having another race in a couple of weeks," Luke explained, looking more interested in Mara than waiting for Biggs to appear into view. "It's a leaving party for Biggs and Tanks...you should come."

"Sure - there they are!"

Luke tore his eyes away from her and they saw that Fixer was in the lead. Biggs headed straight to the Stone Needle.

"He's not…" Luke's words failed him as they wondered whether Biggs was attempting to thread it, to get the lead. The atmosphere turned tense, as they all gasped as Biggs sped towards the jagged rock circle. If he miscalculated, then…

Luke had grabbed Mara's hand as he watched his best friend with wide-eyes. The skyhopper swerved a couple of times, as if getting the right position, and-

"He did it! I can't believe it! A-HA!"

They all whooped and laughed as Biggs safely threaded the needle. He had done something legendary. And that had shaved a few seconds from his time; he was in front of Fixer.

Excitedly, they headed down to the finish, waiting for Biggs and Fixer. The skyhopper was back in view and Biggs landed it carefully next to the others. He jumped out, swaggering over as they all congratulated him on the feat. Camie was practically hanging off his arm and when Fixer arrived, he did not look happy.

"Mara, your turn to race," Biggs said breathlessly, wiping the sweat from his brow. "You're up against Tank."

"You can borrow my hopper," Luke offered.

"Are you sure?" Mara asked in surprise. When he nodded eagerly she said, "Will you ride with me? I don't know the canyon as well as you."

He grinned and Mara took that as a yes.

"You could have died you _idiot_," Fixer growled, folding his arms.

"I just had to do it, before I left for the Academy," Biggs grinned.

Luke shook his head. "I just can't believe it," he said to Mara as they headed over to his hopper. "Everyone's going to want to hear about this."

"When was the last time someone threaded the needle?" Mara asked as she got into Luke's airspeeder.

"Since before I was born," Luke said heavily.

She appreciated, since being in Tatooine, the speed of these hoppers. They can be dangerous. They were also easily identifiable with their tri-wing design and triangular cabin. They were quite similar to the snubfighters Mara had flown, as she familiarised herself with the flight controls. Being a Commander here she didn't have much chance to fly, as she had other jobs to attend to. She missed the feeling.

And soon, they were off. And Mara had to say, she made a great team with Luke. He helped guide her through the canyon. It was so _exhilarating_ \- flying in between the huge towering walls, the constant sharp twists and turns, the obstacles...she relied on her good instincts to follow what Luke was saying and navigate through the route he was taking her down. And she was deeply conscious of not wanting to damage Luke's hopper. She did take a few risks, though, as she wanted to show off her good piloting skills.

_She won._ She was thrilled as she landed the speeder, leaning back in the seat and letting out a breath. Luke was smiling widely, putting a hand on her arm. "You did it! You were _fantastic_!"

She laughed. "I didn't get a single scratch on her." She patted part of the cabin they sat in as her heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

"I didn't doubt you."

They looked at each other for a couple of seconds before a couple of bangs from Mara's side made them jump. It was the others, knocking on the window. They jumped out, returning to their friends.

"Well Mara I gotta say, I am impressed," Biggs said in admiration. "You're a bloody good pilot. You could give Luke a run for his money."

"She was better than good Biggs, she was brilliant," Luke said in awe.

"I didn't even mind getting beaten by you," said Tank, who shook her hand.

"Come on then, let's see your famous piloting skills," Mara said to Luke, keen to see him finally fly.

"Tell you what, let's go bulls-eye some womp rats," Biggs declared, as they headed to their hoppers. Deak and Windy were watching as they didn't have one, and Camie rode alongside her boyfriend Fixer.

Luke asked Mara to fly alongside him this time. "What are womp-rats exactly?"

"They're rodents," he replied. "Pests. Once they reproduced so quickly that their numbers couldn't be controlled, so the Imperial Prefect and Affiliated Moisture Farmers passed a bounty ordinance of ten credits per rat. That's how I could afford to upgrade to the T-16."

The four skyhoppers flew to the place in the canyon where there were the most rats. Mara eyes widened: they were a little over two meters, and were disgusting rodents. They looked vicious, baring their teeth at the hoppers above.

As the shooting began, Mara learnt that the womp rats were incredibly fast and stealthy. Although in the T-16 Luke was technically the pilot and the gunner, Mara also used the targeting laser, affixed to the pneumatic cannon. Biggs was right: Luke was an excellent pilot and an equally excellent shot.

After a while they decided to call it a day. She high-fived Luke. "I'm pretty sure we hit the most!"

They laughed, exhilarated by the couple of hours they had in the air. Luke flew her to where she had parked her landspeeder. Windy and Deak were nowhere to be seen, but Luke said they had probably headed to Tosche Station.

"Are you coming back with us?" Luke asked as they sat inside his hopper, safely on the ground now.

"I can't," she said sadly. "I'd love to, but I've got some things to do."

He looked disappointed. "Ok. I'll...see you soon." She nodded and was about to get out when he stopped her. "Wait." She paused, and looked back expectantly. "I, er...so you're definitely coming to Bigg's leaving party then?"

"Yes," she replied, sitting back in the seat. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you...do you like the Empire?"

"The Empire?" He looked taken aback by her question. "Honestly...I hate it."

"Me too," she said, feeling relieved. She guessed this, but in her line of work she had to be sure. He was looking at her curiously. She felt _it_..._again_. Something was pushing through her brain and she saw his eyes widen.

"Do you feel that too?" he whispered. The atmosphere was heavy, and he reached out his hand to hers until-

Mara grimaced in pain, "Ah!"

Luke moved his hand to her shoulder. "Are you alright? Mara?"

The atmosphere reverted back to normal as Luke looked at her in concern. She opened her eyes. "Yeah…fine. I just get these headaches sometimes." _What the hell was that? He felt it too, what was going on?_

His hand was still on her shoulder. She always felt a bit excited whenever he would go to touch her. "What was that?"

"I don't know, Luke. Probably nothing," she said nonchalantly. "The heat or something." He didn't look convinced. "I've got to go now."

She opened the door and left the hopper. She heard him get out too and walk around his speeder to where she was standing.

"Mara I never said…" She looked at him expectantly again as she placed a hand on her landspeeder. "I was really glad you came back OK, when you went the others to look for Kandji. The Tusken Raiders are dangerous…"

She agreed. They certainly are dangerous. Barbaric was the word she would use. She smiled in thanks, noticing how intense the atmosphere was between them compared to the lightheartedness from earlier. Clearing her throat, Mara said, "I've really got to go. But I'll see you at Bigg's leaving party."

He nodded, biting his lower lip and stepping back. "Bye Mara," he said quietly; she barely heard him.

She flew away in her speeder, wondering what the hell was happening between them.

No, she knew. It was whether she should let it or not. She definitely felt something for him, and if she was guessing right then he did too...

_Wedge Antilles._ She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth as her fellow Corellian popped back into mind. She hadn't seen him for so long now she hadn't even thought about him today. Mara wondered if he thought about her, because he had kissed her briefly once, and she thought she had feelings for him. But then he hadn't made a move...on the other hand, neither had she.

She sighed, groaning aloud, "I was only supposed to be worrying about the Base!"

* * *

A couple of weeks later, Mara was heading back to the spot in Beggar's Canyon. Bigg's leaving party had come around quickly, and it would be the first time she had seen Luke since their last race. Since they last met, many in Anchorhead knew of Biggs threading the Stone Needle. He would be leaving with a hell of a reputation, which was probably what he wanted.

Biggs greeted her as she arrived, surprising her by giving her a hug. "Mara. Thanks for coming." She could smell malt juice on his breath.

"I wouldn't miss it," she told him warmly as he put his hands on her arms. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow." He led her over to where the others were sitting. "We've been meeting at this spot for years," Biggs sighed wistfully as they sat down. Luke and Mara shared an awkward smile.

"Don't tell us you're regretting going now," snorted Deak.

"Hell no, I can't wait to get off this rock," Biggs clarified. "But we've had so many memories haven't we?"

Mara accepted a juice from Windy who said, "Once when Luke and me were cruising down the Canyon, we crashed, d'you remember?"

"I'll never know how you evaded the Sand People," Biggs said in disbelief.

"We don't either," Luke said honestly. "And we had to convince the Jawas not to steal my hopper."

"We camped in a cave near the wreckage," Windy continued, "and got cornered by a _Krayt Dragon_."

"That doesn't sound good," Mara said. "Those huge reptiles? How did you escape?"

"This old hermit Ben Kenobi chased it away. Lucky he was passing through, really."

"He tamed a Dewback, taking us home," Luke said thoughtfully.

And it was like that for awhile. Stories were told, in a way so Mara could join in, and everyone was actually getting along.

She sat back, content as they laughed at something Biggs said. Mara saw the shadow loom over her own, and the sudden cries of her friends caused her to throw herself sideways, watching as a Tusken Raider's gaffi stick collided with the ground instead of her. Mara gulped as the spike-end of the stick penetrated the sand.

"Move, let's get out of here!"

Mara fumbled around under her tunic, finding her blaster and firing before the Raider could do any damage. Luke helped her up onto her feet as the clan seemed to be following its fallen member. The others were running wildly to their speeders, with the exception of Biggs.

Luke held Mara's hand, as they backed away from the clan. They swerved their heads towards Biggs when he yelled out; one had jumped on him from above, and his gaffi stick had struck a blow to Bigg's head.

"BIGGS!"

They ran forward in a panic as Mara threatened to use her blaster again. The Raider just shrieked at her, so she shot him. Well, he was warned. She struggled with Luke to drag Biggs to Luke's hopper, as their attackers were quick on their feet. They put Bigg's arms around their shoulders, pulling his unconscious body along as they hurried away from the Raiders.

Panting they finally reached the hopper, Mara firing her blaster at those closest to them.

"Mara get in!"

Not looking back, Mara squeezed next to Luke and he set off. They yelled and cowered slightly as the Raiders began throwing things at them, many more seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"Oh no…" Luke moaned, slowing down.

"What're you doing? You can't slow down!"

"It's the Diablo Cut," Luke muttered. "It's a part of the Canyon-"

Biggs was starting to come around and he said groggily, "Diablo Cut! No one's ever done it before…probably for the good reason that it's impossible!"

"Luke, you have no choice now," Mara said softly. "_I believe in you_."

He looked at her and she nodded, placing her hand over his on the controls. He looked ahead and breathed heavily, racing forward and away from the Sand People.

It was a bumpy ride. Luke had to rely on everything in his being to pilot them all through it. This was a part of the Canyon where bits of the rock face jutted out here and there, where unexpected dead ends forced them to retreat, where creatures of Tatooine were disturbed of their peace and quiet. They were launched forward by an angry Krayt Dragon at one point. Finally, Luke flew them through an extremely narrow cut, tilting the hopper sideways as they held on to each other. It was narrow, steep-walled and deep. If Luke got this wrong, they would fall. These walls were nearly vertical, in contrast with the rest of the Canyon she had seen so far.

They made it. They flew out of the narrow cut and into open air.

"I knew you could do it," Mara said breathlessly, patting Luke. He breathed out again, looping around the Canyon and towards Tosche Station.

"You're both crazy," Biggs muttered. "We could have been killed."

"But we _weren't_," Mara reminded him. "Why did you have to get yourself injured by a gaffi stick anyway?"

They arrived at Tosche Station, thankfully in one piece. Mara and Luke helped Biggs out, the latter insisting he was fine as they walked inside.

"There you guys are!" Windy exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. "We were worried!"

"Thank you all so much for waiting," Mara said sarcastically.

"I took the liberty of flying your landspeeder back," Windy informed her casually.

"_Thank you_."

"What the hell happened?" asked Tank as a dazed Biggs sat down.

They recounted the tale, and Biggs ended it with, "Well, it was a hell of a send-off."

* * *

Later, Mara and Luke was standing in the garage of Tosche, Biggs proudly showing them a T-16 he had built himself.

"A true pilot should know every last detail of his ship, of how it works," he said, a little bit arrogantly, Mara thought. "It's a bit rough around the edges, but I could hold my own against _any_ pilot."

Luke laughed, as it was a bit of a scrap heap. Mara narrowed her eyes as Biggs looked really angry and entered his cabin. "Race," was all he said, in a challenging tone.

"But Biggs you hit your head and there might be Raiders still out there-" Mara reasoned, but his ship blasted out of the hangar and he raced away at a hell of a speed.

Mara followed Luke into his hopper, and they followed Biggs. "What is he thinking?" Mara asked incredulously.

"I've never seen him angry like that before," Luke mused.

They managed to catch up with the pilot after about five minutes, but his hopper wobbled near the entrance to the Canyon. It was shaking and swaying because of the speed Biggs was going at.

"Oh no…" Bits of the craft began dropping off, including the engine as the ground became littered with various bits and pieces. They watched in horror as it all crashed to the ground, rolling over several times before finally coming to a stop. They raced down to the wreckage, and Mara found the pilot's seat.

"Luke, he's not here!" She feared he had been ejected from his seat...in that case he could be anywhere.

"ARGH!" Mara whipped around to see Biggs, laughing and tackling Luke from behind. She placed a hand on her heart, glad he was alright.

"Biggs you _cretin_," she said, irritated, punching him on the shoulder. "You scared me half to death!"

He tousled her hair and threw his arms around his two friends. "You'll laugh about this in the future."

She rolled her eyes playfully, but they all started laughing there and then.

* * *

The friends found themselves back at Tosche Station once more. Biggs had said goodbye to his friends inside, and Luke followed him outside.

Mara waited a minute or so, and she too went outside. She saw Luke and Biggs hugging, and when Biggs departed for his hopper Mara stood by Luke's side as they watched him fly away.

Luke looked really sad, so Mara put an arm around him, squeezing gently. "I can't believe he's going without me," he sighed. "We always talked about going together and after graduation going into business together."

"You still can," Mara told him. It was only then that she became so painfully aware of how close they were, probably on the scale from when the three of them were sitting in Luke's ship earlier. She hadn't realised, at first, that Luke had leaned into her slightly when she had put her arm around him comfortingly.

She let go slowly as he said, "I'm glad you're here."

She smiled. "Yeah?"

Luke nodded and admitted, "I won't feel so alone."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you to you guys who review, favourite/follow me or this story, it means a lot! If possible let me know what you thought of this chapter, I changed it a lot of times as I was never wholly happy, but I think I've got it right now. Also, credit goes to the Star Wars Wikia, I used various pages to write some of this. :)


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Mara laughed and smiled widely, throwing her head back, her hair flying behind her. Luke smiled at the sight, sitting back and relaxing with a cup of blue milk. Never would he have thought that a girl like her would be sitting in the family's kitchen area, and at his own request. She was laughing with his Uncle Owen, but Aunt Beru was smiling at Luke. His Uncle had made a comment about Bigg's father, the local magnate Huff Darklighter. He had constantly asked Mara to change her source of water supply, but she much preferred working with the independent Lars family. Mara looked at Luke and smiled before turning her attention back to his uncle, as they discussed business.

Beru leaned over to her nephew, with a knowing look on her face. "You like her, don't you?"

He knew she meant more than just 'like', so his eyes widened a little and he stuttered, "Uh..well-"

"It's alright Luke," she said quietly, patting his arm. "She's a great girl."

_She's more than a girl_, Luke thought, smiling gratefully at his Aunt. She's already well-travelled, in charge of a business, and probably worked on all of the planets she had visited so far. He doubted she was _really _interested in him at all, and even a couple of his friends had teased 'Wormie' about it.

Beru started clearing up, and Mara offered to help. "Thank you so much for the food," she said, as they stood at the counter. Luke and Owen continued talking behind them at the table. "It was lovely."

"You're welcome," Beru replied kindly. "Thank _you_ for being a friend to Luke."

Mara smiled bashfully. "He's great, I'm glad to have met him."

She thought back to the last four or so months, since Biggs left for the Academy. When Mara wasn't working at the base, or meeting up with Ezra Bridger to discuss purchasing weapons and then transporting them, she usually met Luke. They would race each other through Beggar's Canyon, and it helped Mara no end as being Commander she didn't get enough flying time as she would have liked. She borrowed a hopper from the base to use, telling Luke she bought one to race with. He asked her what she does when she's not at the Cafe, and she had to make up a quick story about working with Roger, Hack and Simms on a side project. She felt bad, but she couldn't tell him. Not yet. Some evenings she would hang out with Luke and his friends at Tosche Station or they would meet herself, Roger, Hack and Simms at a cantina in Anchorhead. It was nice to feel normal, like before she joined the Alliance.

"We'll be heading to bed then kids," Owen announced when Beru and Mara had finished. His wife nodded to agree.

"Goodnight," Mara and Luke chorused before Mara added, "And thanks for everything again."

"Night."

Mara was leaning against the counter, facing Luke. "I enjoyed today, by the way. Thank you for bringing me along."

"Nah don't mention it," he replied. "I can't believe Fixer lost that bet on the race."

"Yeah that was a fair bit of money too," Mara added, wincing.

"I think he might have to use some of his wedding money to pay off that debt!"

"What makes you say that?"

"I saw Camie punch him on the nose," Luke said casually. They laughed. "You know, I think she dislocated it."

"Ouch."

Luke had invited Mara to the huge Boonta Eve Classic Podrace in Mos Espa, as his friends were all going together. They had spent a great day there. He had laughed hard at Mara trying to understand how unfair the race was, finally getting it when the winner was literally the last man standing. Or the last man flying. They had also rode Eopies, to gain entry into the Grand Arena, and Luke sat behind Mara on one. They were fairly tall, and Mara felt unsteady on one, and Luke had grabbed her waist. She leaned back slightly at his touch, and they rode like that until it was time to jump off and take their seats. He had been quite close to her…he hadn't been that close to a girl since he was a kid. It was quite exciting.

"I also can't believe that the _Star Tours_ flight just 'accidently' got involved in the race," said Mara, grinning at the memory. "It was chaos! A lot of podracers were destroyed because of it!"

"I bet those passengers had a hell of a shock," Luke thought aloud, as they laughed again.

"Honestly, seeing that race is something I will never forget," said Mara. "It was _insane_."

They talked for a while longer, until the power shut down - they had lost track of the time. "I forgot," Mara heard Luke say, in the darkness. "Owen had put the power on a timer tonight."

"I had best get going anyway," Mara told him. "It's getting late!"

"Do you want to stay?" he asked her uncertainly. "There might be Sand People around."

"Thank you, but I'll be alright," Mara reassured him. "It's a pretty straight path to Anchorhead, it won't take me long."

They fumbled around in the dark, using each other as their guide to get to the garage. They were holding hands by the time they got there, and Luke managed to flip a switch to give them some light. Mara hugged Luke goodnight and she got into her landspeeder, making sure her lights worked as she would definitely need them for the darkness outside.

They bade goodbye to each other and Mara flew up and out of the garage, and headed for her quarters. Truthfully she didn't know how much longer she would staying for, commanding the base. It had been six months now or just over, and she hoped that any new major development on the Death Star situation would involve her returning to the Alliance. Even though that would mean leaving...leaving Luke. They had grown close, and she had yet to tell him of her real work. Roger constantly supplied new rookies to be trained, those who would not have had the opportunity otherwise. Some had even completed their training and had left for the Alliance already, and Jan Dodonna had heard great things about Beggar's Canyon, sending pilots himself to improve their skill. Her last update from the General was that data and intelligence was desperately being sought after about the Empire's new weapon, and they were trying to plant tracking devices and EMP to any Imperial cargo they can get ahold of to find a location for the Death Star, and to try and find its weakness. Any schematics they had so far were not detailed enough. She often thought of everyone, of Nolan, Ani, Talia, Wedge, Wes, Porkins...she missed them a lot. When she was with Luke her mind was taken off them, though.

A couple of weeks later, Mara was exhausted. Some of her pilots had come down sick, so she had to step up and take on a few jobs on top of her own. She had hardly been at the Cafe, not that Kay or Windy minded as they were paid extra. The days were long as she stayed late and then arrived early the next morning to get everything done. She was lucky she didn't come down with the sickness that was going around, and the same applied to Roger - she wasn't sure what she would have done without him.

Finally, things were getting back to normal and Mara traipsed through Anchorhead at what she would consider a reasonable time of the day. Entering the cafe, she noticed Luke leaning against the bar, talking to Windy who was on the other side making a drink.

"Hey stranger," Mara greeted.

Luke looked up instantly, and chuckled. "I hoped to see you. Do you fancy a race later?"

"How about now?" Luke nodded. "Great. Give me two minutes and I'll be back." She could do with a race to keep charged after the last few weeks. She left to go down into her apartment.

"I know the others tease you about it," said Windy. "But I genuinely think that Mara _actually_ likes you. Likes you _a lot_."

Luke blushed slightly, and looked down. "Nah, come off it," he said, shrugging. "How do you even know I like her?"

"It's obvious!"

"No it isn't...is it?"

"Ready?" Mara returned into view, having changed her clothes. They left for Beggar's Canyon.

They had raced for a couple of hours. Eventually, they landed their hoppers and Mara stepped out, leaning against it, breathing in the fresh...sandy, humid air.

Luke stood by her, looking at her intently. "Mara?"

"Hmm?"

"Where...where _have_ you been?"

"Ask me again sometime." She smiled apologetically at him, and a few seconds later she said, "If you catch me, I'll tell you."

"Huh?"

She grinned, and started to run away from their hoppers. She could hear him laughing behind her as he followed her; she had no idea why she felt like running, it was almost _childish_ but it felt good to be free, to not feel a burden on her shoulders for a while.

Panting, she skidded to a halt as she had ran upwards, stopping at an edge. "Oh my God…"

Luke caught up with her, almost running into her from behind, holding her arms to steady himself. "Got you."

"Luke, look." He stepped around her, but not letting go and saw the sight of clans of Sand People below, heading in their direction. "Come on."

They ran back to their ships, and as fast as they could headed back to Anchorhead. When they got there, chaos and confusion was already rife as Sand People were raiding the outskirts.

"Oh no…" They parked their hoppers in Mara's garage and got out. Mara found her blaster and held it at the ready. "Luke you should get home, it'll be safer-"

"No I'm not leaving you!"

She sighed in defeat. "Alright, come on then."

They warily walked through the street, Mara using her blaster if she saw one of _them_ attacking someone. Members of the Council were yelling about stopping the Sand People from getting any further into Anchorhead. Mara got separated from Luke in the confusion and she immediately panicked, knowing that Luke was unarmed. She soon spotted him, and she froze at sight of a Raider aiming his gaffi stick at Luke, who had his back turned to it; his attention was on another one.

"Luke!" Mara yelled, running towards him and shoving him aside; she cried out as the stick instead shot into her side.

She groaned and breathed heavily, pulling the stick out of her side and dropping it on the floor. Luke had rushed over to her, his face contorted in pain as if he felt her wound; his hands grabbed the sides of her face and she felt delirious, and couldn't make out what he was saying. Her eyes drooped and her knees felt shaky, but she felt sick when she held her hand up and saw fresh blood dripping off of her fingers.

Luke gently took her arm on her good side and rested it on his shoulders, and gently began guiding her. She leaned into him as she began to sweat at the pain. Shakily, she raised her blaster and held it up for Luke. He took it and nervously, at first, began using it. Mara looked up after a couple of minutes and saw the Municipal Council Hall approaching...she could only guess, and hope, that there was a medical droid in there.

After that, she couldn't remember anything else.

Mara slowly opened her eyes, and blinked a couple of times to get focus. She felt groggy, and the ceiling she saw told her she was lying down.

"Oh thank God." Mara turned her head slowly to see Luke sitting next to her, looking relieved. He had dried blood on his white clothing. "How're you feeling?"

Mara looked down at her side and saw a thick white bandage. The pain had gone, at least. "Not too bad, considering." It was then she realised that there were other voices in the room, and she sat up as best she could to see they were in a wide room, and other people were being attended to by a variety of medical droids. "What happened? Are the Sand People gone?"

"Yeah," Luke said quietly. He looked pale. "I...can't believe you did that. You saved my life."

"What are friends for?" Mara said, smiling at him. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine now, see?"

"Well...thank you," he murmured. Mara tried to sit up some more, so Luke leaned forward to help her. He put a hand on her back, and held her own hand and she used his strength to sit up properly. "I don't know how I could ever repay you for that."

"You don't need to repay me, and I wouldn't want you to," Mara insisted. "I had never felt panic like I did when I saw the Raider aim for you. I'm just glad _you're_ ok."

"You're glad _I'm _ok?" Luke asked in shock, as he gestured to her bandaged wound. They both laughed a little, and he moved to sit on the edge of her makeshift bed, facing her. "You know...you're acting as if saving someone's life comes easy to you, like you've done it before."

"Am I?" Mara said, trying to sound casual about it. Well of course she had, with the Alliance. "I just didn't want to see you get hurt, that's all."

"I doubt any of my other friends would have done that for me," Luke said, staring at Mara intently. "Except Biggs, I guess."

"I'm not like them," Mara replied. Why was he reading so much into it?

"I know." Luke cocked his head to one side, in a really cute way, or so Mara thought. They sat in silence for a few seconds, and Mara looked down at where her hand was on the bed. Luke's own hand was close to hers, and he began to caress her fingers gently. He looked a little unsure at first, maybe even embarrassed but he relaxed seeing Mara's warm smile.

"Aha, look who's awake!" Mara moved her hand to her lap as Owen and Beru came into sight.

"We can't thank you enough for today," Beru said warmly, giving Mara a hug.

After a visit from Luke's Aunt and Uncle, who dragged a reluctant Luke away for the night, she was visited by Roger and some of the pilots from the base.

"I'll be back in tomorrow as normal Roger," Mara insisted. "They're letting me leave first thing."

"Are you sure?"

"_Yes_, the medical droids can do wonders," Mara told him. "I bet it looks like nothing more than a scratch under these bandages now."

And she was right. The following morning, the droid allowed her to leave the makeshift hospital they had created. It was actually quite sad, she thought as she walked through the Hall and back outside. Many were injured, and some were even dead. Finding people injured or dead was not uncommon, but not on this scale. The Sand People were growing bold, attempting to attack a town.

She first when to Avilatan's, opening it for the day, leaving Kay and her droids in charge. Apparently Windy's father was injured during the raid so they didn't expect him in. Then she headed straight for the Rebel Base. She was glad everyone was accounted for - no one else apart from her got caught up in the attack. A couple of hours in, she received a message from General Jan Dodonna.

"Commander Kanos?"

"Hi, General."

"This connection isn't great, so I'll make it quick," he began. "We need you back. Temporarily, of course. The Alliance High Command are assigning a new Squadron, to be formed of only the best - it'll be an elite unit. You need to be part of the reassignment in person. Afterwards you can return to your duties."

"Am I to leave here straight away?"

"As soon as you can, Commander. Make the necessary arrangements. We'll be awaiting your return at the temple."

Mara sat down, feeling excited and nervous all at once. It'd be great to see all of the old pilots again, and of course Nolan, Ani and Talia. She did think it odd she has to make a journey to be reassigned into a new Squadron, it must be a pretty big deal. That, or he forgot to mention she's required to carry out missions whilst she's back there.

"Roger?"

"Commander." He appeared into view and leaned against the door-frame.

"I've got to return to the Alliance for awhile. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I'm leaving you in charge until I get back. I'll leave a message for Bridger so he knows to meet you instead."

"You'll be sorely missed," he said kindly. "But thank you for putting your trust in me."

They shook hands and grinned at each other. "I'll miss this place," she admitted. She said goodbye to the pilots in the base, and headed back to Anchorhead. It was then that Luke Skywalker appeared into her mind. She would miss him a lot, and she dreaded telling him she'd be gone for awhile. She looked down at her fingers as she flew into the town, smiling at how gentle and innocent his touch was yesterday. She thought she might blush, the way he looked at her, but her insides tickled slightly instead.

Re-entering the cafe she approached Kay, who was not very busy as people were most likely cleaning up the mess left by the Sand People. "Hi boss."

"Hey," Mara greeted. "I've just received some news, and I've got to go away. As in, away from Tatooine. You're in charge until I get back."

"I'd be more than happy to."

Mara smiled in thanks and put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at the door opening. It was Luke. They greeted each other and she served him a drink from behind the counter. He reached into his pocket, but she stopped him. "For the hundredth time Luke, it's on the house." He was such a gentleman. Every single time Mara poured him a drink he always tried to pay for it.

She leaned against the counter, twiddling her thumbs. "I went to see you this morning, but you'd gone by the time I got there," Luke explained. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"Is something wrong?"

She sighed. "Listen, Luke. I've got to go away for awhile."

His face dropped. "Really? Why?"

"Er...it's a long story, but I heard some news from some old friends and I've got to go to them," she tried to explain, realising it sounded very mysterious.

"You're not in any trouble are you?" He asked her nervously.

Mara laughed. "No, no. Even still, the less you know the better. It's something I've got to do, so trust me."

"I do," he assured her. "I just...I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

"Are you leaving soon?" He asked, sounding hopeful that she might have a few days left.

"Yes, this afternoon when I'm ready," she replied. Mara walked around the counter, and held her arms open. They hugged each other goodbye. "I'll be back before we know it."

"You are coming back?" He asked for reassurance as they pulled away.

"I promise." And to prove her point, she kissed him tenderly on the cheek. Probably lower than was necessary, as it was to the side of his lips almost.

He looked a little awed, and he knew but didn't care. Was it that Mara had the chance to get away from Tatooine, but was coming back? If she hadn't have met Luke, would she have bothered coming back at all? He felt the spot where she kissed him, and smiled. It wasn't all bad that she was going, after all.

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed! Thank you to my reviewers, and to the guest reviewer I couldn't personally reply to - I like 'Lukara' haha! This isn't properly edited to be honest, I wanted to get a chapter out there this week as though my deadlines are next week and I'm very nearly done, I'm quite busy after that. I've booked a couple of weeks off work, and I'm doing stuff like celebrating my 21st birthday, returning home and spending lots of time with family, figuring out what I'm doing in the summer and in September, etc. So I'll see you all in a couple of weeks! :)


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

She stared at the blue tunnel around her, leaning back into her seat. Well, here we go again. It was time to return to Tatooine. It had been an interesting few months, Mara figured. She had no idea she would stay that long, but they were indeed quite short on pilots. Or rather, experienced pilots.

A lot had happened, though.

When she first arrived back into Yavin 4, she flew low and smiled at the sight of the trees. _T__he bloody trees, of all things_. The forest was a welcome sight, but Mara was accustomed to the barren land of Tatooine - so much so it was normal. She remembered the fog and mist that covered a lot of the greenery below. Whoever was on duty gave her the all-clear; she smiled at the beautiful temple as she made her landing into the large hangar bay.

After a quick meeting with General Dodonna she was reunited with her fellow pilots, but seeing Wedge Antilles again was the one moment that stuck out in her mind. She had felt apprehension at seeing him again, it rose in her stomach and her heartbeat even increased. Maybe she liked Wedge more than she had previously thought but then she hadn't done anything wrong. Apart from let herself like someone else, knowing there was a strong chance that Wedge liked her too...

They were bickering about something when Mara saw him for the first time in months.

"_I'll have you know," Jal Te Gniev was saying, "I've flown thirty-one missions and destroyed-"_

"_-eighty TIE Fighers. When are you going to stop telling us that?" said a voice, from behind the friends._

_Mara hadn't seen Wedge yet, instead catching up with Jal, Doc, Porkins, and Wes Janson, a close friend of Porkins and a member of the Tierfon Yellow Aces. She turned around quickly, not even hearing him entering their common room. His eyes were fixed on her and he was grinning widely. Mara jumped up and hugged him tightly, which he returned. It felt warm, comforting and familiar._

"_It's so good to see you back," he said quietly, moving a strand of her brunette hair to behind her ear, lighter now thanks to the Tatooine sun. They had let go of each other and were still standing quite close, Mara couldn't help but remember what it was like to stand this close to Luke Skywalker…_

As if to make a point, Wedge had been quite touchy-feely. As in, more so than usual. Especially when Mara slipped up and said she had met 'someone' rather than 'some people' that had taken her mind off of her last undercover mission, and so Wedge interpreted that as she was interested in this someone. Well, he was right… It was exhilarating to have Wedge acting like he did, but if she hadn't have met Luke then she would probably have reacted entirely differently.

However an emergency situation meant Mara had to fly with Wedge in a Y-Wing squadron not too long after her arrival. They and other pilots were called into a briefing lead by General Rahm Kota and Commander Yat-De Viedas. They had planned an assualt on Imperial cloning facilities on the planet Kamino. Wedge was the only other pilot Mara knew personally seeing as they didn't fly with the Y-Wing guys all that often. As it turned out, sadly, she wouldn't have the chance to get to know them.

_They attacked the planet's shield, but it was stronger than they expected, and their squadron was suffering heavy losses. Kota was aboard the frigate Salvation directing the battle, as the Alliance ships engaged in a fierce fight with Star Destroyers. It was completely one-sided from the moment they arrived out of hyperspace, and Mara felt her ship veer off due to a huge force; she smacked her head at the sudden movement. She felt the blood trickle down her face but scrambled back into position._

"_Mara?" She heard Wedge ask in a panic. "Mara are you alright?"_

"_Yeah, fine. What the hell happened? Where's half the squadron?"_

"_Torn apart by a concentrated blast of turbolaser fire," Wedge replied bitterly. "Excuse me, General? We're getting ripped apart up here!"_

"_Literally," Mara added. "Order the retreat!"_

"_Antilles, Kanos, enough!" said Kota. "Hold your position! Keep pressing the attack! We won't get another chance to take this target!"_

_She heard Wedge make a noise over the com, but incoming fire meant Mara had to dodge out of the way quickly and fire back. She wondered what Luke would think if she never returned, he wouldn't even know what happened to her._

_She heard someone say that the Salvation was falling apart, and so the decision was made to abandon it. The crew left for The Rogue Shadow and Salvation was piloted by a droid to crash directly into the planet's generator; it was to be a fast-moving missile to completely destroy the shield generators._

_It was quite a sight, seeing the frigate dive into the planet's surface. But it worked. The Rogue Shadow was able to land, and Mara and Wedge had the order to cover the ground assault. Below was a domed city where troops were being led by Kota himself, to destroy the cloning facilities. _

"_We need to enter the city," Mara said in the comlink. "General, is there a control center?"_

"_We're heading there now Kanos. As soon as I give the all-clear you'll be able to enter the city through the main hangar doors."_

"_Imperial Dropships Wedge!" Mara yelled as she saw the transports heading their way, assaulting rebel positions on the ground._

"_I see them."_

_They flew in formation, taking out some snipers threatening the ground forces on the way - with a great shot each the Dropships were destroyed, preventing them from any further damage to the Rebels. However their joy was short-lived as there was news of the Bounty Hunter Boba Fett having killed many of the Alliance troops._

"_What's Fett doing here?" Mara wondered aloud, having heard of the famous Fett._

_A huge explosion caused a disorientation between the Alliance soldiers, as they tried to get word from Kota. Fett had escaped as he had set off a sonic grenade, but that hadn't stopped the Alliance gaining a victory - the hangar doors were finally opened and they flew inside the city, providing vital support to Kota and his men. The facilities were destroyed, and eventually - after a clean up operation - they returned to Yavin 4._

Mara fiddled with the controls in her ship as she continued her flight through hyperspace. She thought back to when they landed, and she had found out that Ananda was a part of the troops on the ground. _Of course she would have been!_ And she was still unaccounted for.

"_Oh Christ," she muttered, as Wedge stood beside her._

"_I'm sure she's fine Mara," he said, sounding optimistic and putting an arm around her. "Come on, let's get something to eat whilst we wait."_

"_Good flying out there, by the way," Mara said to him._

_He smirked. "You weren't so bad yourself."_

_They had sat together in the canteen, Mara putting her feet up as they ate. Afterwards, Wedge had held her hand on the table. Mara didn't have the heart to pull away, and a part of her didn't even want to. She didn't even think of Luke, because they had just completed a heavy mission together after all._

_Eventually Ani walked in, looking tired. She spotted Mara before they had seen her, hurrying over. Mara turned her attention away from Wedge and jumped to hug her friend. Ani's blonde hair was in a scruffy bun and her blue eyes looked sad, and the bags under them suggested __she had been crying._

"_We lost more people Mara," she muttered, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She shakily laid her blaster on the table. "Thanks to your squadron we managed to hold on."_

_Ani sat down with them wearily. "Well done soldier," Mara muttered. "I know you did us proud, as you always do."_

"_How much longer will I last?" Ani wondered._

"_Don't say that. You're my best friend, I can't lose you."_

_She managed a smile and said, "Well I see one good thing's happened."_

"_What?" asked Mara and Wedge._

"_You two have finally figured it out and got together!"_

_Mara and Wedge shared an awkward look and stuttered something like, "Er, no, we're not-"_

"_Oh!" Ani gasped, realising her mistake. "I just saw your hands … I thought - do you know what, never mind."_

Mara remembered being in the pilot's quarters that evening, and eventually just her and Wedge were left as everybody filtered off to bed.

"_You've been avoiding me," he stated._

"_Have I?" she asked him, trying to sound nonchalant about it. But it was clear that she had been since that morning when they had returned from Kamino._

_She heard him move, eventually standing behind her as she made herself a coffee at the counter. "Yes, and you know you have. Ever since Ani thought were we together earlier." She sighed and turned around to face him, holding her cup of coffee close to her chest for comfort, leaning against the counter. "Before you went away to command that base, I'm pretty sure something would have happened between us. I think you know that too."_

_Mara kept her cool, but inwardly she felt not ready at all for this conversation. "Yeah, maybe. I had a feeling we liked each other."_

_Wedge nodded. "Have you met someone else?"_

"_What do you mean, 'someone else'?"_

"_Do you _like _someone else?" Wedge, the confident flyer and all-round confident person, looked quite nervous at her reply._

"_Yes...maybe," she admitted. His face fell a little at her honesty. "But I think I'm the first girl he's met that's not from Tatooine, so I don't know if it means anything. And of course I thought about you a lot…"_

_She put her mug down to one side, and he lifted a hand to her head, stroking where she hit it during the attack earlier. The blood had dried and it was forming into a scab already just below her hairline. "Did you get that looked at?" he asked softly._

"_No, it's nothing."_

"_Mara…" he moved his hand down, gently caressing her skin __with his fingertips__ until he got to her wrist and entwined their hands together._

"_Wedge, I think I need to figure my feelings out," she told him, ignoring the feelings that were erupting. " I can't…" God, he was having an effect on her that she was forgetting her words. "Wedge!"_

"_What?" he asked innocently, moving closer._

"_You know 'what'," she replied irritably._

_But she didn't want him to be in control. Not in complete control, anyway. That wasn't her. "I was first," he muttered, referring to Luke._

"_I suppose you were…"_

Mara supposed he was completely shocked when she leaned forward and kissed him, turning him around by his collar so he was against the counter. They had kissed passionately, and their hands definitely explored before she felt Wedge's hands on her cheeks, pulling her closer. She placed her hands on his waist and pulled away; they were both out of breath.

She had felt guilty, if she was honest, but the kiss was amazing. If anything, it made her question what it would be like kissing Luke. Nothing else had happened between herself and Wedge though, as she told him she still didn't know how she felt. Luke, though he had no idea, made her question everything. Who knows, if she hadn't have met him, she could have been dating Wedge Antilles.

A couple of weeks after the Kamino mission, she still hadn't been given clearance to leave. Finally, it became clear why when she was present for the new squadron assignment. They were calling it Red Squadron, a reaction to the news of the new superweapon. They were reserving them however for if the worst happens, and for now they'll be assigned to random squadrons or even in pairs for the time being. The General was cobbling together the best. Garven Dreis was Red Leader and nobody was surprised. He was the former leader of the Dantooine Squadron, and he personally trained Mara when she very first joined the Alliance. Wedge was assigned to Red Two; Doc was Red Three. Mara was assigned to Red Four, but John Brandon would be covering her spot until she returned if they needed to use the squadron early, and then he'll take up his long-awaited promotion. Jal was Red Five, Porkins was Red Six and the rest were also outstanding pilots, all the way up to Red Twelve. Pilots like Wes Janson were on the transfer list in case of casualties but was still flying with his usual squadron for now, as they hadn't yet suffered any heavy losses.

They had a few training sessions during their first few weeks as a squadron, but they were the most experienced pilots in the Alliance now, apart from a few others, and so not a lot else could be said or done. Mara stayed for their planned raids on imperial convoys, all successful - they had a great team going. She admired the Red Squadron assignment - it could do very well.

They had heard of a rare mutiny on board the _Rand Ecliptic_, where two Imperial leaders had defected from the Empire and joined the Alliance. One of those had arrived on Yavin 4, as he was beginning to get a reputation as an excellent pilot and leader. He also knew the mind of the Empire, having graduated the Academy and served for a short time.

_He spotted Mara in the hangar bay as she serviced her X-Wing, and she turned to look. Biggs Darklighter. They grinned and almost ran to each other._

"_You!" Biggs said. "I knew it!"_

"_I'm so glad you've finally seen sense," she joked, hugging him._

"_I knew there was something else about you," he said as other pilots worked around them in the Hangar. "What were you doing back on the old rock?"_

"_I'm commanding a base there, training pilots and buying weapons on the Black Market," she explained._

_He nodded, looking impressed. "Are you going back then?"_

"_I'm only here temporarily." Wedge was walking towards them. "Wedge! This is Biggs Darklighter." They shook hands. "Biggs, this is Wedge Antilles, and if you're not aware of his exploits, I'm sure he'll be delighted to give you the whole story."_

"Haha_."_

_Biggs got on really well with everybody, as he's an easy-going person, and he asked Mara in the evening, with Wedge definitely listening in, "So how's Luke doing?"_

"_Yeah, er...fine. Absolutely fine." She smiled at Biggs, who noticed something was amiss, but now Wedge was aware of Luke's name._

"_So hasn't gone to the Academy yet?"_

"_Not yet. He deferred his application again."_

Biggs flew jointly with Wedge in his first attack against an Imperial convoy protected by a huge escort frigate and Wedge was impressed by Biggs. He had defected with a guy called Derek Klivian, who he called Hobbie. With new pilots defecting or finishing their training Mara was assured she would be able to return to her base soon. She sure hoped so, it had been a while and she had promised Luke she would go back. She suspected people were surprised she even wanted to go back at all, but she wanted to finish things up in the base one last time.

She provided Biggs with advice for his first undercover, as he attended the debutante ball of Rivoche Tarkin, niece of the Grand Moff himself. She passed him essential information successfully, and averted an assault of some kind. Mara also flew with him for the first time to steal X-Wings from an Incom Corporation facility. They struck it successfully and a transport arrived, seizing the fighters and flying them back to the Alliance. It was not without its horror, however. They had finally met Hobbie as he became stationed at Yavin 4, and he suffered the most. Already wielding a prosthetic arm, he ejected from his TIE Fighter (provided when he and Biggs had defected) after drawing the enemy away and had the lower half of his right leg sheared off. They only had time to give him a quick bandage before their shuttle took them home.

They now had enough X-Wings to sustain the incoming pilots, but now needed droids for them. That would come later.

Her return to the Anchorhead Base was delayed yet again during a meeting with General Dodonna.

"_We have received word from an anonymous defector that the Empire has launched Operation Strike Fear," he began._

"_Creative name," Mara muttered sarcastically._

"_It's goal is to suppress the Rebel presence in many systems but also to distract us from their new battle station. We believe this 'distraction' will also be used whilst they escort some plans or schematics of the so-called Death Star."_

And of course, Mara had been involved. She was sent with Biggs in their X-Wing's to the Rebel outpost AX-235 as they had intercepted schematics for the Death Star using stolen Imperial communications satellites. They received the data and returned to Yavin 4 successfully, however it had been touch and go…

"_Mara! ARGH."_

"_What's the matter? Biggs?"_

"_My power generator has gone!"_

_Mara winced and flew near him, to see him struggling, his R2 working frantically to fix it. "Outpost AX-235, this is Kanos. Requesting immediate backup for Darklighter, his X-Wing is damaged." She knew Imperials were on their way, and she got ready to defend them both. "Alright Biggs hang in there. I'm not going anywhere."_

"_Thanks buddy."_

_As she had predicted they came under attack by Imperial ships, with the Rebel outpost only providing a little support as many of them had evacuated due to their position being revealed, when they had intercepted the plans. The remaining Rebels had called for further assistance and soon three R-22 Spearheads came to their aid. Just in time, really, as Mara had already watched a couple of her fellow Rebels get destroyed trying to protect her as she tried to protect Biggs. She was the one carrying the plans, hence why they were wary of her own position - Biggs was supposed to be her bodyguard, but she ended up being his._

_By some miracle they held off the attack, as the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser had sent a rescue team of corvettes and shuttles. They had managed to repair Bigg's ship and this allowed all of them to make the jump to hyperspace, escaping with the plans._

_They met the pilot Keyan Farlander, who had never been stationed at Yavin 4 before. They had heard of him though, as he executed various missions and was usually stationed aboard the Independence, Admiral Ackbar's flagship and where Mara completed a part of her training. It was those sort of pilots who were heavily involved with Operation Strike Fear. He helped with the fixing of Bigg's ship and he would be one to watch._

And that was finally it. She was allowed to return to Tatooine, as they had enough pilots for now. However…

She only had a couple of months left. She was to be stationed full time on Yavin 4. The General had been impressed with how she handled her missions and was sure they would recover the rest of the plans to get a complete picture of the Death Star. He wanted her on standby, so she was to return to Anchorhead and transfer full command over to Roger Stern. Dodonna had offered for her to do this over hologram, but she refused, wanting to return. Luke had a part to play in this. She had already been away for roughly three months.

_She visited Biggs, who was sitting in the infirmary with his friend Hobbie. A serious infection developed at the site of his wound causing raised, ropy growths on his skin._

"_I've been disqualified from flight duty," he said crossly. "The medics can't treat it, they suspect it's of native origin."_

"_I'll be thinking of you Hobbie," Mara said softly as she hugged him. "I'm sure I'll see you back on your feet - er, foot - when I'm back."_

_Hobbie laughed at her error. "Hopefully they'll fit me another prosthetic limb. I'll be half-robot then!" He paused and looked up at his friends. "Get somebody to carry me to my bird, and just watch me fly. You can count on me."_

_"We know. You'll fly even if you lose your remaining arm and leg."_

_Mara bade goodbye to him, who was smiling at her comment, and left with Biggs, who looked worried. "The medics are worried for his life, Mara. The infection might spread everywhere if they can't contain it."_

_She placed a hand on his arm. "He'll be alright. He's a fighter, that one. He lost an arm before, didn't he? I think it'll get worse before it gets better, but it _will _get better."_

"_What makes you so sure?"_

"_Just a feeling." And it was just that. But somehow, she knew he would make it._

"_Luke gets those," Biggs remarked. "And he's always right." Mara shrugged, remembering Luke setting off her migraine. And he gets 'feelings' too. Maybe he was suffering with the same thing she had? "I know you and Wedge have a little bit of history, Mara-"_

"_I'd hardly call it that."_

"_Even still, it's something," he said seriously. "And I know it's none of my business, but Luke is my best friend and I saw the way he looked at you. And the way you looked at him back. Assuming you have gotten closer to him since I left, I think you should set the record straight fairly soon."_

"_Did you just lecture me, Darklighter?" Mara asked, putting her hands on her hips._

"_Sure did Commander," he replied casually, a smile breaking out under his moustache. "I would say 'send my regards to Luke', but...I want to be the one to tell him about this."_

"_Understandable," said Mara. "I'm going to tell him about me, too. I've not got long left there."_

"_I've been granted leave in a few weeks, so I'll be in Tatooine saying my goodbyes in case anything happens to me," he explained. "If I catch you when you're leaving can I hitch a ride back?"_

"_Sure can."_

"_Are you going to put Luke into contact with the Alliance?" Biggs asked._

"_I don't know." Mara paused, wondering what the best option was. He was one of the best pilot's she had seen, and the Alliance need that right now. But putting him on standby in the face of this huge weapon could mean certain death. His family would never forgive her if anything happened to him. "What about you?"_

"_I was thinking about telling him that I was planning on jumping ship and joining the Rebellion," said Biggs. "The less he knows, the better. But if you two become...whatever happens between you two you should definitely tell him you're a part of it."_

"_No secrets."_

"_No secrets," he agreed._

She said her other goodbyes again, Wedge once more kissing her on the cheek as she sought him out.

And here she was. The beeps signaled her time in hyperspace was coming to an end, and she soon saw the surface of Tatooine.

There was a lot to think about, and only time will tell how it all plays out…

* * *

Author's Note: How was it?! I really hoped you liked it and didn't mind the flashback structure. I took a day off writing my dissertation to get this done. Also I edited the prologue slightly - it's now chapter one instead and a small Wedge and Mara scene was added in. Thanks for reading, please review!

Also: credit goes to the Star Wars Wikia pages for their info!


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Luke Skywalker fiddled absentmindedly with one of the many water vaporators on the Lars farm. He had been fixing them all his life, so it was second nature; he wasn't really paying attention. He had seen damage from sand-clogging a million times before.

He looked up at the sky, sighing. Things hadn't been the same since Mara left. He was without Biggs, and now her. Things had been so quiet. It had been a few months now, and she still hadn't returned. Old Kay who worked at the café hadn't heard anything. But she had _promised_ she was coming back. And she sounded like she really meant it. Mara had even kissed Luke … well, on the cheek. But he could swear he almost felt her lips brush his own, she had kissed him quite far down and even lingered a couple of seconds.

He was sure he wanted to kiss her, properly. Luke knew he liked her as more than a friend, he felt it in his gut. But he didn't know how to go about it … if only Biggs were here for advice. He had a feeling that she liked him too, but then she hadn't done anything about it either.

Boy, did he miss her. He could be himself around her. They had fun together, and he felt like he could talk to her about anything. About his academy dreams...about anything the others would laugh or scoff at. She knew her own value, and always convinced Luke of his own too.

And he hoped she was alright. Mara had assured him she wasn't in any trouble, but why wasn't she back yet? His friends had said she wasn't returning, and certainly 'not for Wormie.' He wasn't sure whether they were teasing or warning him. Luke himself even had a yearning return to apply for the Academy this year instead of next, if she wasn't coming back.

"LUKE!" He whipped around at the sound of his name, and by the tone of Uncle Owen's voice that wasn't the first time he had been trying to catch Luke's attention. He was approaching Luke now, who looked at him sheepishly. "I need a farmhand who will pitch in, not a nephew with his head in the stars half the time."

"Sorry," Luke muttered, returning to the vaporator.

"After you've finished that I need you to take a look at the patch-in droid for vaporator number forty-nine."

"Sure." Luke sighed again as his uncle walked away. This wasn't what he was born to do, and he just had to get away.

A little while later, when Luke had finished repairing the vaporator, he noticed Windy arrive in his landspeeder. He parked up and hurried over to his friend. "Look Windy I'm really busy right now-"

"But Luke," Windy panted. "Mara's back."

The patch-in droid was forgotten as Luke ran to his own speeder, not realising the huge grin that had spread out on his face.

* * *

It felt good to be back in command, Mara thought, as she resumed her position at Anchorhead Base. She sat at her old desk, and gave clearance for a pilot to return from his training in the canyon. Now, that was everybody in and accounted for. It was time to make her announcement.

They had all gathered in the rec room. "Ok, listen up. As you know I was away resuming my duties with the Starfighter Corps. They have re-assigned me to a new squadron, which is to be my new priority. As such my command here is almost over and of course Roger will be taking over from me. Originally it was only to be a temporary base, but the High Command are pleased with our efforts and the skill of the pilots we send back. So, that's a well done to all of you. And that's it. Thank you."

She was humbled to receive an applause, and a few pats on the back. She then noticed a pilot sat down who she didn't recognise. He must have arrived whilst she was away.

"Hey rookie. I don't think we've met?"

She sat down next to him and he smiled widely. He seemed like one of those overly-enthusiastic, excitable types. "I'm Dak Ralter, Commander."

"Nice to meet you," she said warmly, shaking his hand. "So where're you from?"

"Well I was born on Kalist VI," he said casually.

She stared at him wide-eyed. "On the Imperial labour colony?" she asked quietly.

"The same, ma'am. I blasted out of there with the help of a great man, Breg, a free spirit who fuelled the flame of liberty inside me!"

She smiled at his words. Come to think of it, he looked quite young, matching his slight naivety. "I think I heard your story. You both hijacked a prison barge and flew to Tierfon, right? Breg is a rebel pilot, isn't he?"

"Was," he corrected her. "I had never flown anything before. Breg was shot and managed to direct me through takeoff before he passed away. Landing was by no means pretty without him."

"But miraculous," Mara remarked, looking impressed.

"And here I am, honouring his memory. Anything to help take down the Empire."

"It's great to have you here, Dak."

And Mara meant it. She sure would miss this place, especially the pilots. She excused herself when she caught sight of Roger, who embraced her in a hug. "Thank you, Commander. This is a huge opportunity for me."

"It is," she agreed. "But I know you won't let us down. I've told them how brilliant you are."

He looked at her in kindness. "I'm glad you're back and staying with us for a little while longer. Do you fancy going to _The Weary Traveller _tonight for a drink or two? You could invite those friends of yours along?"

Mara loved the idea. It would be a chance to see Luke for the first time. She had already been to Avilatan's and spoke briefly to Kay and Windy, but Luke was the one she was most anxious to see. Because she had been on Tatooine a couple of hours now she could feel the apprehension building inside of her at the thought of seeing him again.

"Definitely," she replied to Roger. "I think we should meet a bit earlier though, I have lots to update you on."

It was already late afternoon, so she shut down the base and headed back to her apartment in her speeder. She didn't tell Kay or Windy that she was leaving. She didn't want Luke to find out from anybody else other than her. Mara still didn't know whether to tell him about the Alliance. Would he be annoyed that she kept it a secret? Would he want to sign up, no matter what Mara or his Aunt and Uncle said? But then she couldn't tell him about Biggs, because he wanted to be the one to tell Luke. She couldn't blame him for that. And then there was kissing Wedge Antilles. Damn that pilot and his effect on her.

_What_ was she supposed to do? This was a predicament. She wasn't meant to meet Luke Skywalker, and certainly wasn't meant to develop feelings for him. _But I did._ And there was no helping it. Being with Wedge made her wonder what it would be like to be with Luke, kissing him and feeling him…

Stepping into the café her heart almost stopped at the sight of Luke himself. He was leaning against the counter as he usually does, his foot tapping impatiently. They smiled at each other, and Mara found she had ran to meet him halfway, clutching him tightly.

"Hey!" Luke had greeted excitedly as he ran over to her. "Windy told me you were back, when did you get in?"

They let go of each other. "Only a few hours ago." She paused, taking in Luke. Seeing him and his wide smile was giving her _butterflies_. And in that moment she instantly regretted kissing Wedge and felt a bit guilty about it too. "It's good to see you."

"It's great to see you too!" Luke exclaimed. "It's been so quiet around here." He seemed to notice her sadness as she thought about what she has to tell him. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly, her smile returning. "So, anything new?"

"Nope, not really … Mara, where did you go?" Mara hesitated so Luke said, "And don't say 'ask me again sometime.'"

She let out a laugh, remembering what she had said to him before she left. "I will tell you. Just not now. I promise."

His eyes widened and he nodded. "I knew something else was happening. I had a f-"

"-feeling," Mara finished. "Yeah, I get those too." She remembered what Biggs told her before she left Yavin 4, and had almost mentioned him.

He cocked his head in a typical Luke way. "Do you remember when we were sitting-" She nodded, and gestured to the nearest table. They sat down. "- in my hopper and _something _happened, didn't it? You felt what I felt?"

"You didn't get a pain like I did, though?"

"No … I only felt something good, positive," he said. "Like I had a connection to you, or something."

He looked a bit bashful at that comment. Mara said, "I felt _you_ trying to break through, but it just sets off the pains in my head. I don't feel anything good from it, it's like my headaches are a warning from my brain."

"I wonder why we feel it differently," Luke pondered. "You know, I haven't felt it since I was a boy. My uncle used to get mad if I could find things with my mind so I guess I suppressed it. I can't control it as much now though."

"I had my worst headache in years when I first arrived in Anchorhead," Mara thought aloud. Maybe Luke had inadvertently set it off.

"Mara, I think you should let it in," Luke advised.

"I can't," she said instantly. "It hurts too much."

"If you do, maybe the pain will stop?" Luke suggested.

"Maybe." Mara bit her lip and played with her fingers nervously. "I wonder what _it_ is. I can't explain how it feels … before I met you it was like I had another mind _in_ my mind. Like I was being called to. But then I felt you call me, that day in your hopper."

"I didn't even mean to do it, it just happened," he admitted. "I'm glad I've got someone to talk to about it."

"Me too," Mara assured him. "I'm sorry I just brushed it off before, I was … scared."

"_You_ were scared?"

"It happens," she mused. "It's been something my brain has fought since I was a child."

He nodded to understand. "We should try and find out more - oh _no_."

"What?"

"I'm going to get it when I get back," he groaned. "I forgot to take a look at something for my uncle."

"Be off with you then," she said playfully. "I'll be at the _The Weary Traveler _tonight, you should come along."

"I'll try," he said, not sounding very optimistic.

They said their goodbyes and he left; Mara remained sitting at the table. Well, she wasn't expecting that. There was so much that was left unsaid but yet she felt relieved she had finally spoken to someone who understands.

Luke has only had positive experiences. Maybe she should let it in. Bring down the invisible wall, no matter the pain. _I could find out what I'm really capable of._ Luke was able to find missing things with his mind. Who knows where else it could take them?

But with the distraction she hadn't told Luke. About anything. Mara moaned and bought her hands to her face. _I still haven't done the hard part._

* * *

That evening Mara was in the cantina, with Roger, Simms, Hack, Dak Ralter, and two other pilots: Nala Hetsime and Cinda Tarheel. Nala was a brown haired and fair skinned mystery, Mara never got much more than basic information out of him. She suspected he was being courted by Cinda, a confident fast-talker, with long black hair and bright blue eyes - she was considered very pretty. Sultry, almost.

Mara was updating Roger on what she knew so far, about what he should know seeing as he'll be commander soon enough. She had told him the most important things about the Death Star and its potential to destroy planets back at the base, and anything she was telling him now was through a code they had figured out - nobody was around them, but you never know who or what might be listening.

"So how's it going with Bridger?" Mara asked him, referring to their Black Market contact.

"Fine," he reported. "It's like you said, some weeks he produces decent stuff. Other weeks, we only get clothes or something, not any weapons or ships."

"Clothes are always good though," Mara reminded him. "Some people come to us with absolutely nothing. They need to be issued stuff like new clothes, even a toothbrush."

"That's true. It makes all this worthwhile, doesn't it?"

"It sure does, Roger."

After that Luke and his friends arrived to join them, so no more Alliance talk could be had. Whilst the new arrivals headed for the bar, Roger leaned over to Mara and whispered, "Does Luke know about us?"

"No."

"Will he?"

"Yes. At some point." Luke returned and sat down next to Mara. "So your uncle let you off the hook then?" There was silence as Luke looked deep in thought about something. "Luke?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, when I told him I was meeting you he did," Luke explained. "He thinks you'll be the one to stop me from going to the Academy, he was pleased to hear you were back."

"Oh does he?" Mara asked, intrigued. "Well it's true. You _don't_ have to join the Academy."

"We've dreamt about it for years," Luke said thoughtfully. "Biggs and me, I mean. I haven't thought about anything else."

"You could come with me," Mara suggested. "When I leave. We both know I can't stay here forever."

"I know, and I wouldn't want you to," Luke assured her. "But do you really mean that?"

"What?"

"About me coming with you?"

"Of course. You're a good pilot, I could use you."

"For just my piloting skills?" he asked, feigning hurt.

Mara laughed. "You know what I mean. It would be hard to leave you here…" It really would be. Maybe this is the moment to tell him -

"Welcome back boss," said Windy from Luke's other side as he sat down. "Did ya' miss us?"

"Of course I did," she replied, though only really looking in Luke's direction. He was smiling to himself, probably about the last thing Mara said.

"Did you go anywhere exciting?"

"You could say that."

"Has anyone ever told you," began Windy, "you're quite mysterious sometimes?"

"Well, I'd hate to be predictable," she joked. "That's just boring."

"We could have used you a couple of times," Fixer said to Mara, leaving over to them. "The Sand People raided Anchorhead again. You're handy with a blaster."

"Really? Was it bad?"

"More casualties," said his girlfriend Camie. "A lot more than last time."

"Are you safe?" Mara asked Luke. "You're quite cut off from Anchorhead. Which I know isn't doing very well, but there are more people there to defend the place. There's only three of you."

"Uncle Owen can hold off a whole colony with his blaster," Luke said confidently. "He's had to do it all his life of course."

"So have you still deferred your application to the Academy?" Mara asked.

"I've cancelled it completely," he said, sighing. "We've almost got enough vaporators to make the place pay off. Uncle Owen's promised me he only needs me one more season."

"Which is what? Another year?" Luke nodded; Mara bit her lip. "Oh."

"You won't be here for another year, will you," Luke guessed sadly.

"Er … well, no -" Mara looked around, and back to Luke. "Come outside with me." He followed her out of the noisy cantina and they slowly walked down the pathway together. "I've got something to tell you." He was still silent so she continued. "I'm leaving Tatooine. For good."

"How long have you got left?" Luke asked quietly.

"Only a couple of months," she replied. "I'm sorry, I didn't have much of a choice. Those, er, friends need me."

"That's … a shame," he said, stopping in his tracks. "Did you even need to come back?"

"Not really, no."

"But you did."

"Of course I did," said Mara, her heart falling to the floor as Luke looked at her with sad eyes.

"Why?"

"I couldn't not see you again and say goodbye properly," she explained, after some thought. She was close to telling him about her feelings for him, but that would hurt him more, as she was leaving. And he basically said he couldn't go with her because of his family commitments.

"Oh," he said, sounding disappointed. "You said earlier I could go with you."

"The offer still stands," she said quickly. "But there's something you should-"

"I can't," said Luke, looking irritated with himself. "I promised Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen I would stay."

"And you shouldn't go back on that," she agreed. She had almost told him. Maybe he wasn't meant to know; not yet.

"Mara," he said slowly, looking troubled. "Is there something happening between you and Roger?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I overheard you earlier," he explained. "Are you together?"

"No," Mara said sharply. "What on earth makes you think that?"

"He asked you whether I knew about you two," he further explained, looking relieved.

"Oh, well he's coming with me," Mara said. "You know his family were sold into slavery and then they died. He doesn't want to stay for much longer." She felt bad for lying, but this wasn't the time to tell Luke about the Alliance. And selfishly, she thought of the many Rebels who had died recently. She couldn't lose Luke.

"I thought it was something else, but I had to ask …" he trailed off, and there was silence until he spoke again. "We'll make the most of the time you've got left."

He sounded a lot more optimistic than before, and determined too. Mara smiled. "Absolutely."

"Hey, Luke! You owe me a drink buddy!"

The two of them looked behind to see Windy hanging out of the cantina. "Let's get back inside," said Mara. They returned to the cantina, which had become a lot noisier. A band had started and a lot of people were up and dancing. "Fancy a dance?"

She grabbed his hand and led Luke to where their friends were, joining in with them. Apparently the others had downed a few shots to boost their confidence, so it was fair to say that Mara and Luke had an amusing night watching the others around them. And Mara was not surprised when Windy failed to turn up to work the next morning, he was probably nursing a hell of a hangover.

* * *

The first month had gone by so quickly, Mara thought sadly as she approached Beggar's Canyon in a borrowed skyhopper. She was meeting Luke and his group of friends there. She still hadn't told Luke about the Alliance and her own work. There was no point - nothing had happened between them and he wasn't going to leave his family. The less he knows, the safer he is. They also hadn't spoken about the 'connection' much, because how could they find out more? Mara didn't want to have a nasty headache anyway, so unless it happened accidentally, then she wasn't about to push it.

Now that Luke knew of Mara's leaving, she had handed over management of the café to Kay Tallon, who practically ran the place anyway. She was thrilled and grateful, as Mara had given it to her for free. The staged operations that happened in the basement had been shut down, and now Roger had arranged a different place in Mos Eisley to meet Ezra Bridger. Everything was winding down, but not seeing Luke.

When she arrived and jumped out of the hopper, Luke was locked into an argument with Fixer. Mara hurried over to see what was going on, the others sipping on malt juices watching the drama.

"Listen," Fixer was saying angrily, "anything the _great_ Biggs Darklighter could do, _I_ can do! I'm as good as he ever was."

"Oh yeah?" Luke challenged. "Well then, why don't you prove it? Why don't you thread the Stone Needle, like Biggs did? That ought to shave five seconds, or better, off your time"

"You're on Skywalker," Fixer snarled. "Let's race, just you and me."

"Fine." Luke turned around and almost jumped at the sight of Mara. His features softened. "Oh, hey."

"Hey," she said cautiously, following him to his hopper. "What was that about?"

"I'm just fed up of Fixer thinking he's better than everyone else, and slandering Bigg's name," he said bitterly. "I called him out on it."

"Good for you," said Mara. "Although you know he's just jealous, right? You're younger than him but an excellent pilot, maybe even the best on Tatooine."

Luke shrugged humbly. They had stopped as Camie was sounding quite hysterical behind them. "But you make stupid immature decisions when you're like this!" she was saying.

Mara rolled her eyes. "Get a grip, Camie," she muttered.

Deak was calling them crazy so he was left with the job of consoling Camie whilst Windy asked to ride along with Fixer.

"Are you coming with me?" Luke asked.

"Yep."

They continued to Luke's hopper. "Is there any chance I can talk you out of that?"

"Nope."

"I want to thread the needle," Luke explained slowly. They both knew it was an incredibly dangerous manoeuvre.

"I figured," she replied casually. "I want you to _win_. Don't worry about me ... us."

She climbed into the cockpit, as did Luke. He fired up his hopper and they saw Fixer race away and round a corner. Luke gripped the controls and Mara had never seen so much concentration and determination on his face. Then, they were off.

Very soon Fixer was in their sights. He was dead ahead, rattling along next to the towering canyon wall. In no time at all the hoppers were neck on neck, hurtling towards where the bottleneck stood. Mara turned sideways to look at Luke, who was breathing heavily.

The needle was in sight now. Luke's maneuvering was near-suicidal as he almost fought against Fixer in the hopper next to them, but Mara remained calm. Luke knew what he was doing. The jagged rock face was getting closer as Luke tried to watch Fixer and control his own calculations at the same time, so they didn't crash into the loop. It was a completely different sensation being inside the hopper, rather than just watching Biggs attempt it from afar.

Luke's speed increased. That was the only way to thread the needle, at the right position at an incredibly fast speed to make it through the other side. Fixer realised Luke had gained the upper hand and pulled away; Mara didn't dare speak for fear of distracting her pilot, but she was completely at his mercy. If he got this wrong -

"I did it!"

They cheered as they flew through the loop. Luke had threaded the needle. But that had come at a cost - the dangerous flying and the insane speed had caused the hopper to rattle horribly. It didn't sound good at all.

"I think you've lost a stabilizer," said Mara as Luke tried to regain some control. "Careful, or you'll fry your instruments!"

With no stabilizer the ship was veering dangerously out of control, and the hopper bumped into rock formations and the canyon wall a few times before Luke was able to land it. They both rejoiced at the rocky landing - it could have gone a lot worse.

"And you still beat Fixer!" Mara exclaimed.

"I think I proved myself to them," said Luke, who was still breathing heavily. "I'm cut out for more than this life."

"Is that what you were trying to do?" Mara asked. "They probably know that already, really. And I do."

He smiled in thanks, and they jumped out to survey the damage. "Uncle will be furious," Luke stated as they looked at the battered hopper. It didn't look great. "I guess I won't be racing for awhile."

Fixer had landed a few meters away from them, and Windy practically fell out of his hopper in shock. They obviously had a bumpy ride recovering from losing the needle to Luke, as they had to go around it and find a different route back. Fixer however looked furious at losing.

"What are you both trying to do, kill us all?" Windy asked angrily as he stormed off to where Deak was waiting. Camie ran over to Fixer, and she was in a bit of a state. She had obviously watched the near-miss. The could have been crash…

"I'll help you tow this back if you like," Mara offered.

"Thanks," said Luke gratefully. "I think I'd give my uncle a heart attack if I turned up flying this with no stabilizer."

Mara quickly retrieved her own hopper and attached Luke's to the back of it, and soon they were flying to the Lars' homestead.

"That was fantastic," said Luke, who despite busting up his skyhopper, was grinning. "I wish Biggs and Tank could have been there to see that!"

"It was pretty spectacular," Mara agreed. "You're now the second person in living memory to thread the needle. That's something."

"I'm sorry I put you in danger back there," he said sincerely.

"I knew what I was getting myself in for, you don't have to apologise."

"I don't think you flinched once, you were so calm. I bet Windy was squealing the entire time with Fixer."

"I've been piloting for way too long to let a race get to me," she said confidently. "And anyway, I knew I was in good hands."

Luke smiled in triumph as she pulled up and stopped outside his farm. Luke leaned over to leave, but hesitated and resumed his sitting position. "Mara, can I ask you something?"

Mara's heart thumped. He sounded nervous and it was making her nervous. "What is it?"

"You know the Municipal Council party that's coming up?" Luke asked, to which Mara nodded. "Are you going?"

"I received an invite, but I hadn't really thought about it," she said. "Why?"

"So no-one's asked you then?" She shook her head, wondering what he meant by that. She soon got her answer. "Will you go with me?"

"As in, be your date?" _Because if that's the case, then yes please._

"Yeah," he confirmed, nodding eagerly. "I would like that."

Mara tried to hide her shock, but was pretty sure it still seeped through somehow. This was the first time she had been asked out on a date _properly_. By somebody who cared. "Of course I will. I'd love to."

Luke grinned widely, blushing slightly. "Great. I'm looking forward to going now," he admitted, laughing nervously.

She smiled back, noticing over Luke's shoulder and through the window that a figure was coming out of the small dome that was their entrance to the homestead below. "I think that's your uncle coming Luke."

"Wish me luck," he said, sighing probably at the prospect of explaining his hopper situation.

"Don't let him kill you, if you can help it," Mara said seriously. "I wouldn't want you to miss our date."

"I wouldn't want to miss it either," said Luke. "I've wanted to ask you for ages."

Mara waved to Owen who returned the gesture as he got closer; just as Luke was getting out Mara said, "I wouldn't have said yes to anyone else Luke."

He gave her one last smile before facing his uncle, still looking a little bit in awe at what just happened. And when she felt Luke's hopper disconnected from her own, Mara headed off back into Anchorhead.

Well, that changes things. She was going to have to tell Luke. To tell him everything. It's like she had said to Biggs - no secrets. Especially if something happens between them. Which she hoped it would. Though she was leaving, Mara decided Luke has to know how she felt. Who knew how that would work out, but at the moment, she didn't care. And even though Mara was only a bit more experienced than Luke was (if he had any at all), if he didn't make a move then - _I am going to._

* * *

Author's Note: Ta-da! Things are heating up now. Thanks to everybody as normal :)


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

_Luke Skywalker is missing_.

Mara had shuddered when she first heard people muttering those words.

_Yes, it's true. Luke is missing_.

And it somehow felt worse when his Aunt Beru told her with sad eyes, putting a hand on her shoulder. Mara raced over to their homestead when she first heard the news, which was not long after she had left the base. She had been working all day, and Windy frantically told her the news when she arrived at the café in the afternoon.

"_I'll head out to Owen and Beru and see if there's anything I can do," Mara had told Windy. "You stick around here in case he shows up."_

Mara looked around the courtyard, noticing big groups of people talking amongst themselves. "Why is nobody out looking for him?" she asked Beru.

"There's a huge sandstorm out across Beggar's Canyon and the Jundland Wastes," Beru whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "It's too dangerous for anyone to go out there. Owen has already tried."

Mara nodded to show she understood, putting an arm around Beru and guiding her to the kitchen. She sat her down and poured her a glass of blue milk. Mara sighed sadly; watching Beru tremble with worry was heartbreaking.

Mara sat down and held her hand. "What happened? Why is he missing?"

She breathed deeply. "Well, he got upset this morning as Owen wouldn't let him...leave with you."

"Leave with me?" Mara repeated in surprise.

"Owen had mentioned about buying some new droids to help out, and I think Luke interpreted that as the droids replacing him as the farmhands," Beru explained, staring into her drink. "But you leave this month, don't you?"

Mara nodded. "And that's too soon for your family."

"Yes, exactly. We need him to help out."

"Your farm would suffer if he didn't," Mara deduced. "I understand, Beru."

She smiled sadly. "I'll be sad to see you go, Mara. You've been great to our nephew. You treat him differently."

"I don't have a choice," Mara said quietly, fiddling with her fingers. "I wanted to stay here. But, I can't."

"You have your path, and Luke has his," said Beru. "Though Luke isn't a farmer, he'll find his way. I hope that when you leave he finds you again, I truly do."

Beru squeezed her hand and smiled kindly. Mara stayed with her, even heating up some stew Beru had prepared earlier. Apparently it was cream of Womp rat, which Mara herself didn't fancy.

It was late afternoon now, and they heard a commotion coming from the courtyard. Mara stepped outside into the heat.

But she didn't listen to the locals for long. She heard all that she needed to hear: _the sandstorm has subsided._ Along with everyone else, Mara ran to her speeder. Dusk would be right around the corner and they would need to find Luke fast.

The search party raced off in different directions, and Mara flew until she could see no-one else. Hopefully everyone was spreading out as she was. She tapped the bottom of her speeder nervously, whilst chewing on her lip. If anything, this scare confirmed what she knew, deep down. She really did like Luke Skywalker. A lot.

It was going to be so hard on her if they didn't find him.

All too soon, dusk fell. Mara cursed, switching on her lights. Though it wasn't yet pitch black, she knew she only had an hour or so at the most before she put herself in danger by staying out here in the desert.

And then it hit her why Luke was stuck out here somewhere. _His skyhopper was broken_. He must have just ran out in frustration over his Aunt and Uncle.

Mara slowed to a halt, looking at a pack of Womp rats in the distance. She gulped nervously - they were the biggest rats she had seen so far. And they seemed to be heading towards somewhere together.

_Maybe to Luke._

Mara panicked and jumped up and out of her speeder, switching it off and making a mental note of the rock formation she had left it by. She hurried over to the rats, her eyes widening at their size as she got closer. They must be about four meters or more.

And these ones were aggressive enough to attack.

Mara yelled out, and aimed her blaster at each one that jumped for her, running in the direction they were originally headed for.

"LUKE?" she screamed, as some of the rats ran away in fear of her blaster that had already killed a number of them. But there were a few that remained chasing her: maybe the leaders of the pack. "LUKE!"

She turned, and stumbled backwards, shooting more of these crazy rats. She bumped into something, and already feeling the high adrenaline Mara whipped around and aimed her blaster at the shape behind her.

"Take it easy, young one," said a calm, male voice. "I'm not here to hurt you."

She eyed the figure warily, as he stepped forwards out of the shadows and lowered his hood. He was an old man, judging by the white hair and beard, and he looked wise, kind, and slightly eccentric, all at the same time. "Are you out looking for Luke?"

"Yes," he replied calmly as Mara lowered her blaster. "But we must hurry. More of those blasted rats are coming this way."

Mara could hear the pitter-patter of their paws behind them. She agreed with the old man, and they continued on their way quickly. Mara could now see up ahead an entrance to a cave. _Maybe Luke's hiding in there._

They both gasped as a huge Krayt dragon appeared out of nowhere, probably attracted by the amount of noise they made, towering over the two of them before they could get to the cave. Mara fired her blaster, but it didn't do as much damage as she would have liked.

"Damn it," she muttered angrily, as the large reptile in front of them cried out in a frenzy. It then bared its large set of teeth at the two of them.

Mara looked in shock at the old man next to her, who was closing his eyes. "Are you _meditating_? _Now_?"

The only good thing to come of this was the dragon scaring the rats away. They took one look at the huge beast and scarpered. Some even came streaming out of the cave they were aiming for.

And so did Luke.

_Luke!_

Mara gasped and ran for him, with little regard to the dragon who roared and struck her with its large claw. She winced at the pain, clutching her side but seeing Luke up ahead was all she could think about. He looked weary, leaning against the cave wall, holding tightly a gaffi stick with fresh blood dripping off of the end.

The old man was still standing very still with his eyes closed as Mara raced around the dragon to get to Luke. Somehow, the dragon calmed down, even bowing its head slightly towards him. Mara took advantage of this, grabbing the stick from Luke's hand when she reached him. The dragon turned around quickly to face her, and Mara took the opportunity - she hurled the stick at its throat on her instinct.

Mara didn't see it topple over in pain, or even see the old hermit finish it off - she and Luke hugged each other in relief.

"You're hurt!" he said, his voice sounding strained and weak.

She laughed slightly at his concern, though stopping abruptly at the sharp pain that she felt in her side. "Don't you worry about me, Luke. Let's get you back, Owen and Beru are worried sick about you."

"We meet again, young Luke."

Luke kept his arm around Mara, so she supported his weary body. He was covered in sand, had some nasty scratches and bruises, and looked absolutely exhausted. Well, he was stuck out here all day. "Ben Kenobi?"

"I was just coming out to rescue you, but this young lady beat me to it."

Mara smiled, holding out her hand. "Mara Kanos." He nodded, shaking her hand.

"Where's Ani?" Luke muttered, looking delirious.

"Who?"

"Ani," Luke repeated. "Ani, he was just here. He's the same as me."

Mara was looking at him in concern. "Come on Luke," she said softly. "My speeder's not too far away."

"Who did you see, Luke?" Ben asked as they helped him walk to Mara's speeder.

"Ani…he can see things and sense them before they happened," Luke mumbled, his head falling onto Mara's shoulder. "He's like us, Mara. He's like _us_."

He fell unconscious. "Curious," muttered Ben, as they carried Luke between them for the rest of the way. Mara turned around towards the cave, and saw nothing but a lone Womp rat and the dragon's body slumped on the desert floor, the gaffi stick sticking out of its body.

Mara stayed silent until they finally reached her transport, gently setting Luke down in the passenger seat.

"Well, thank you, Ben."

"Thank _you_."

"Can I give you a lift somewhere?" asked Mara. It was getting very dark now. "Where do you live?"

"No, no" he replied, staring at her. "I live in a hut on the edge of the Dune Sea, not too far from here."

"Oh...OK," she said slowly. "Well get back safely, won't you?" She wondered how he even knew that Luke was missing in the first place, living that far away from Anchorhead.

He nodded, narrowing his eyes. She shut her eyes at the burning pain that erupted inside her head. She jumped inside her speeder, pushing Ben out. Well, it wasn't Luke as he was unconscious...and Ben wasn't taking his eyes off of her.

"No," she muttered. She cleared her throat, looking back to Ben as if nothing had happened. "I have to get Luke back."

Ben nodded, stepping back. To her surprise, she could make out his worried look. "Be careful."

"And you." Though she wasn't sure what he really meant by that comment.

Mara didn't feel right leaving him there, but then again she had offered him a lift. Maybe his own speeder was out of sight somewhere. As she sped away she could sense he was still watching them. If Luke still wanted answers about what they could do, then Ben was definitely the person to go for.

That certainly was a strange encounter.

* * *

Mara pulled up to Luke's home. Her ride home went without a hitch, as she worried the entire time of drawing attention to herself in the dark. Anyone was at their most vulnerable out here at nighttime.

Her lights signalled her arrival, as Owen and Beru hurried out of their entrance hall, relief flooding their faces as they saw their nephew in Mara's speeder.

"Oh thank the heavens," muttered Beru, placing a hand over her heart. She thanked Mara a number of times as they helped Owen get Luke to his bedroom, through the courtyard and into his sleeping loft.

Luke was lay down atop a sheet, due to the fact that he was still covered in dust, and Beru knelt down, stroking his head. He was still muttering in his sleep. Mara suspected he was suffering from heatstroke. A part of her was surprised he didn't find his way back. But he probably ran into trouble and got trapped by the sandstorm.

Mara decided to leave the family to it. She had reached the main courtyard, housed by the crater, when Owen called out to her.

"Thank you for finding our nephew," he said gruffly, putting his hands on his hips. "You were our last hope. Everyone else had returned with nothing." Mara guessed that as it was getting dark the other search parties had decided to call off the rescue. "Including me."

"There's no need to thank me," she said, brushing it off. "I had help. Ben Kenobi was there too, do you know him?"

"That old hermit," Owen muttered angrily, folding his arms. "I should have known. Whenever something happens to Luke or our family, he's always _interfering_."

Well, she didn't expect that reaction. He did help save his nephew, but Owen didn't look happy with this turn of events so Mara decided not to mention him again. "I wanted to make sure he was found safe and sound. I care about Luke."

Owen nodded, rubbing his stubble. "And that's the problem."

Mara looked around cautiously. "What is?"

"Ever since you've arrived, Luke has hardly mentioned leaving his home," Owen explained. "Leaving his family. He told us that you're leaving Tatooine, and just this morning he was insisting that he re-apply to the Academy. Or-"

"Or leave with me this month," Mara finished.

"You shouldn't do this to the boy," Owen continued, sighing. "Most of his friends have gone, and now you will be too. I need Luke to help out around the farm, not pining for you to come back."

Mara felt some anger bubble inside of her. "He's not a boy anymore, Owen. And he's a hard worker from what I can see, he would never not do his chores because he didn't get his own way. That's not in his nature."

"I don't think you _understand_," Owen said, coming closer and towering over Mara. "You have _no family_. You don't understand family loyalty. Luke can't just leave us. You?" He pointed at her angrily. "You just jump from place to place, not realising you're hurting the people you leave behind."

Mara looked stunned for a moment, before recovering herself. She replied quietly, "My friends are my family. Which is why I must go to them." _Ouch_, she thought to herself. He's really not happy with Luke missing a whole day of work. And he blamed her for Luke leaving. Sad really, she had really gotten along with Owen until now. He seemed to like her compared to some of Luke's other friends.

"Owen!" They both turned to see Beru, her sharp voice settling Mara's nerves. She wasn't happy with how Owen was talking to Mara, they could see that. "Luke wants to see you, he's awake."

Mara wasn't sure if that was true - Beru could have wanted Owen out of the way. Without looking back at Mara he stormed away and disappeared from the courtyard.

"Beru," Mara started, wanting to explain. "You both mustn't think that I-"

"It's Owen who doesn't understand," Beru interrupted, walking to Mara and putting a hand on her arm. "He's lived in Tatooine his whole life. _I _know that Luke can't stay here forever. He's got so much potential." They smiled at each other in mutual understanding. "Luke thinks very highly of you, Mara."

"I know," she admitted. "I feel the same. I wanted to stay, truly I did. It's out of my hands." To be fair, it wasn't her fault that the Empire had built a huge weapon that could destroy the entire Galaxy, if it wanted to. The Rebellion needed her. Her friends needed her.

"You would have stayed if you could," said Beru. "Luke knows that."

_I like your nephew. A lot. As more than a friend. _She wanted to say it, but she couldn't. Luke should know, first.

It was making Mara feel a bit sick knowing she wouldn't see him for a long time, after she leaves. Perhaps this would be the last time if she didn't make it. She was a soldier, a pilot, and her chances of surviving more attacks were slim.

"If…" Beru said slowly, studying Mara's saddened features. "If you and my nephew have feelings for one another, then someone should say something. Before it's too late." Mara assured her of this with wide eyes and a nodding head. "I'll pry no more. It's between you two and no one else. Mara, are you hurt?"

Beru's eyes had fallen upon Mara's side, where blood stained her top. Mara insisted she was fine, but was taken through by Beru anyway to their kitchen who wanted a closer look. She really was a mother figure to everybody, and Mara wondered (nosily) why she didn't have children of her own.

As she cleaned the scratch marks left by the reptile, Beru told Mara a story from Luke's childhood. "Years ago, during the Great Drought, the crime lord Jabba the Hutt introduced a water tax. It hit us moisture farmers hard. His henchmen enforced this tax, and took a lot from us; they didn't care about the damage they caused." Beru started to smile. "Luke was only eight years old, but he left home, followed the thugs and demanded some of our water back."

"How brave." Mara too smiled at that.

"And naive," Beru pointed out, covering the wound now. Mara winced at the stinging sensation as the dressing was pressed onto her skin. "But we knew then that he was special. Owen discourages his adventurous and bold nature, but not for selfish reasons. I can't explain, but Owen is doing what he thinks is right by Luke."

Mara frowned, wondering what Beru meant by that. What could they be so afraid of?

They were saying their goodbyes when Mara suddenly remembered something. "Beru? Is there anyone called Ani who lives around these parts?"

"No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

"Oh...Luke thought he was with someone called Ani, that's all," Mara said, brushing it off. "He must have been delirious, he was out there all day after all."

She almost missed Beru's alarmed look, but his aunt quickly relaxed and brushed it off too. Mara said goodbye, and finally left for the night. And she had a lot to think about on her way home, as the cool wind whipped around her as she sat in her speeder.

She had met this Ben Kenobi character and Owen wasn't happy that she had. He also had what she could do, what Luke could do. Sense things, feel things. He hadn't said a single thing about it, but Mara knew. He had tried to enter her mind. But she had rejected him - the searing pain was too much.

Then there was Owen, who seemed to dislike her at the moment. But they were keeping Luke on Tatooine for a reason, at least that's what Beru was implying. But why?

There was Luke himself. Mara was also glad he was OK. But she had to tell him, after that scare. Tell him everything. She had no idea if Luke would confess his own feelings, if he had any. Or if he would do it first. She didn't know him as well as she thought. No, that's not it. This situation was unpredictable and thus people acted unpredictably; Mara wouldn't be able to call it.

And what would he say when he found out she was the commander for a rebel base? Mara let out a breath she was holding and remembered what she had to face once she leaves Tatooine for good.

A huge weapon. Maybe a huge battle to destroy it.

There was a lot coming up, a lot to deal with. But eventually telling Luke was the one thing that scared Mara the most. This was unexplored territory.

But she had to wait, until the upcoming party at least. _As Luke's date_.

* * *

The following morning, Mara jogged up the stairs that led to the café from her apartment. She was on her way to the base, which she went all day, every day now that Kay was in charge.

As she opened the door and passed Kay who was behind the counter, greeting her briefly, she smiled instantly at Luke Skywalker entering through the main door. He returned her smile and they hugged tightly, meeting in the middle of the café.

"Well, you look better," Mara teased, as they released each other. He was free of all that dirt and sand and had more colour in his face. They sat down on one of the tables. "You know, if you didn't want to go on a date with me, all you had to do was say."

Luke smiled at her joke. "It's what kept me going," he admitted. "When I was stuck because of the storm, and then when I was being chased by Raiders and Womp rats. Thank you for coming for me, and saving my life. Again."

"It's OK," she replied quietly. "You gave us a good scare."

"I didn't mean to get stuck out there all day," he insisted. "I was on my way back when that storm came in out of nowhere."

"Your aunt and uncle told me what happened," said Mara. "About why you left in the first place."

Luke shrugged, not meeting her eyes, tapping his finger on the table. "I needed to cool off." He paused, looking up at her. "I'm sorry for what my uncle said to you."

"How do you know about that?"

"Aunt Beru told me," he explained. "You wouldn't have said anything otherwise, would you?"

"No," she admitted. "And he is right, in a way."

He grabbed her hand, in a move that surprised her. "I don't care what he said or thinks," Luke said strongly. "I'll always be glad I met and knew you."

Mara stared at their hands, smiling. She lifted her head and nodded. "Me too."

"I wish I could go with you," said Luke wistfully. "Once, when Uncle Owen had business in Mos Eisley, Aunt Beru used the HoloNet connections somewhere in Anchorhead and showed me images of forests, rivers, oceans. It looked beautiful."

"You'll see those things for real, one day," Mara assured him, wanting to take him away there and then and show him some real beauty in the Galaxy. She often took for granted that all he knows is this heat and the barren landscape.

"I want to see Naboo," he said, somewhat dreamily. "You told me about it around the time we first met, d'you remember? It sounds...unbelievable."

"It's my-"

"-favourite place," Luke finished for her, smiling shyly. "I know."

"When it's all over, I'll come back for you," said Mara. "And Naboo is the first place we'll go."

"You will?" he asked, his eyes wide as he gripped her hand. "Do you promise?"

"I promise," she confirmed. "Just don't go running off to join the Academy where I can't find you, alright?"

"I won't." He was grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, Luke?" Mara asked tentatively. "Do you remember what you said to me last night? About Ani?"

Luke nodded. "It wasn't just a dream. It felt so real...I know that sounds crazy."

"I believe you," Mara said softly. "Go on."

"Well, I first saw a tall, dark figure. And then I met Ani. He was only a boy, but we had a lot in common. He knew little about his father, was a good pilot, wanted to leave Tatooine, and he was like us, Mara. He could sense things before they happened. We came across an astromech droid in one of the caves, and Ani rigged it so the motivator exploded. You must have saw the flare it caused?"

"No, I'm sorry I didn't."

"Oh. Well after we got attacked again, I lost sight of him and not long after you found me."

They both looked thoughtful, trying to work out what really happened. Mara guessed it was Luke's abilities - if Ani wasn't real, he may have been once. Perhaps Luke had an insight into something, but what?

"I forgot," Luke gasped, "you were hurt!"

"I'm fine, honestly," Mara said casually. "It's nothing more than a little scratch now, thanks to your aunt's magic hands."

She noticed that Luke's own hand was still over hers. He cleared his throat and blushed slightly. "So, where shall I meet you on Saturday, for the party?"

"I'll wait outside for you, I'll walk from here," she answered. It was in the council's main building, which was situated in the centre of Anchorhead. She realised that they had been talking for awhile and she was needed at the base. "I've got to go, I was on my way somewhere. If I don't see you before, I'll see you Saturday."

They said their goodbyes as Luke's hand finally left hers, and he walked her outside to her speeder. "Thank you again," he said sincerely.

"What are you going to do without me?" Mara joked, placing a hand on her transport.

They departed ways, and Mara wondered what she was going to do without him, too.

* * *

At the base, she had received an update from General Dodonna. Captain Antilles, strangely no relation to Wedge Antilles, was now stationed aboard the diplomatic shuttle _Tantive IV_, to Leia's service, after a data haul from the man himself. More fragments needed to be gathered to get a full picture, and Mon Mothma wanted this one ship alone to receive any plans that other rebels manage to steal.

Mara also found out that Hack and Simms were staying on to assist Roger in his new position as commander, which meant they were out of harm's way. She worried about Wedge, though, and thought about him - about where he was, if he wasn't still on Yavin 4.

He can be reckless. On his very first mission for the Alliance, Wedge crashed an A-Wing into the lip of a volcano, leaving his leg broken in three places. Mara remembered it vivdly. She had managed to land near him, and she had to calm down the pilot who was screaming in pain at his leg. It had stuck out in unnatural places, and her hands were soon stained with his blood.

It was quite horrific, looking back. But she had remain calm until help arrived. So, she held him in her arms until the medics rushed over from their frigate, stroking his head and squeezing his hand, until his screams became whimpers.

She didn't want any of this happening to Luke, she thought to herself as she sat in the passenger's seat of a skyhopper, waiting for her rookie to join her. Even if he did join the Rebellion in the future, she couldn't see him in that much pain.

But it does happen.

At the end of a full day of training, Mara checked out of the base and headed straight for home. She realised that Saturday was fast approaching, and that she needed to find a nice dress to wear for the Council's party.

After all, Mara had someone to dress up for. And she wanted to look her very best.

* * *

Author's Note: Whoops, I'm sorry that took so long! The end of my final year at Uni was traumatic, to say the least xD but I've done it! I've started writing the next chapter already, which is the party and of course Mara is Luke's date, so look out for that soon :) thank you everyone!


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Mara Kanos stared at the mirror. If she had a choice between this party and the Death Star, she'd take the latter. When she knew Luke wasn't home she had paid a visit to Beru Lars, to ask where the local women get their dresses from. So later that day Mara had found her dress, making a few adjustments so it resembled a dress she would wear if she wasn't in the Outer Rim.

But now, she felt sick. It had been a while since she had been out in an occasion like this, and even back then she suffered from anxiety. What was it that Talia used to say? _Stand at that mirror, and make peace with the enemy._

Mara smiled, and took a breath. Her wavy dark hair was tied up in a low-key loose updo (it's all she could manage alone) and her dress was light pink in colour. It was a multi-layered chiffon a-line, with the straps criss-crossing at the back and forming a bow at the end. The many layers of chiffon would keep her cool but protect her skin from the sand and the sun when she's outside.

But now, it was time to meet Luke.

She threw a wrap around her head and shoulders, and headed out into the heat. The cafe was closed early as everyone from Anchorhead and the surrounding area was invited to the Municipal Council building. She walked around the corner and in a few minutes she had arrived. She had heard the party before she saw the council building loom over her and envelope them all in shadow. There were people talking to one another outside, some going inside, and everyone appeared to make an effort with what they're wearing. Well, they usually wore rough tunics so Mara couldn't blame them for dressing up. Mara had found that the Anchorhead dwellers were proud of their little town - it didn't seem to hold the scum that reside in the bigger space ports, and if anybody suspicious did turn up they were soon chased out of town.

Mara hovered by the doorway, peering inside, holding the wrap over her hair in place. Soon enough, she heard a voice.

"Mara." She turned her head back around and saw Luke approaching, his aunt and uncle bringing up the rear. He smiled widely, and Mara greeted him and his family. They entered the building, and Mara slid the wrap from her shoulders, revealing her full outfit. Beru and Owen continued on into the main hall, but Luke hovered back, looking at Mara in awe. He placed a hand on her arm.

"You look...uh," he stuttered nervously. "You look beautiful."

Mara smiled shyly, feeling nervous to even look Luke in the eye. "Thank you." She slid her arm over his. He gently placed his free hand over hers that was resting atop his arm and squeezed.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded, and together they entered the main hall. She held her head high as they headed over to where Owen and Beru were sitting, and she noticed Luke's friends staring at them, some looking shocked. Mara couldn't help but feel smug on Luke's behalf about this - they probably never dreamed that Luke was ask Mara, or that she would say yes, because that's what they think of him. But they don't know him, not really. Biggs's father was sitting on their table, Huff, as was Kay Tallon and her partner at Mara'a request, and a few others she didn't know very well.

After her last encounter with Owen and their slight argument about Luke, he was acting completely normal with her, and she wasn't surprised. Mara suspected either Beru or Luke, or both, spoke to him about it. She was relieved, because his attempt at an apology, if he thought she was owed one, would probably have been very awkward.

The party started off when everybody was finally seated. Mara and Luke chatted away animatedly, sipping at their drinks, until those involved with the council began their mini speeches at the front of the hall. Announcements were made, thanks were said, and even awards were given out. After all of this, the food was served, and it was probably the best the locals would eat until the next party. It seemed they had been saving for a long time to get all of this together.

Mara felt happy, but sad at the same time. She sat, twirling her fork in her fingers, watching Luke laugh at something Windy was telling him, who had come over to their table to say hello. She smiled without realising, but felt her butterflies return. She placed a hand over her tummy and breathed slowly, wishing she could stay here with him rather than go off to battle. He caught her eye and smiled back at her, until Beru tapped Mara's arm.

"Tell him, Mara," she said quietly. "I know I said I wouldn't get involved, but I can't bear seeing two young people who like each other not doing anything about it."

"I'll try," Mara muttered, staring down into her drink. That was something easier said than done.

"I'm surprised my nephew hasn't said anything, but I think he may need a nudge from you," Beru continued. "And only you."

Maybe Luke has tried to say or hint at something, in the past. When they've been alone, and when they've been in their skyhoppers together. But she was never sure. Beru turned her attentions back to her her husband, and Mara looked at Luke again. Windy was whispering in Luke's ear and glancing at Mara furtively every now and then; she guessed they were talking about her. Luke was laughing slightly, looking embarrassed.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning Mara saw a smiling Roger Stern. "Hey, Mara," he said warmly, pulling up a chair. The new commander of Anchorhead base turned his voice into a whisper, a worried look taking over his smile. "We think there may be something wrong with the _A_."

The _A_ was the Alliance. "What makes you think that?" Mara asked him quietly.

"We haven't heard from them all week, they failed to commence their weekly transmission," he muttered. "And last we heard, they were trying to gather fragments of data that would complete the plans of the _Star_, right?"

"Right," Mara confirmed. "I'm sure everything's fine. They're probably just focusing all of their resources and manpower on getting those plans...but I'll be leaving soon, so as soon as I hear anything I'll report it straight to you, I promise."

"Thanks," he said, sounding grateful and relieved at the same time.

"The plans Biggs Darklighter and I received were only about five percent of the whole readout," Mara sighed. "If the Empire have split the plans and readouts into small parts, imagine how many transmission interceptions there will need to be, as well as the amount of ground troops needed to smuggle them out and _then_ transfer them to Leia on her diplomatic cruiser. I hope her diplomatic immunity lasts long enough until we have the last pieces."

"That could take a while," Roger mused. "They could destroy many planets before that happens. No wonder they need you back."

Mara placed a hand on his arm. "I would suggest that you have somebody stationed at the base constantly. Then if there's an emergency message for us, at least we'll know straight away."

Roger nodded. "I'll get onto it. Thanks."

"Do you want me to come back with you now?" Mara asked him.

"No, no, you stay here and enjoy the party, it's one night off!" he answered. "I can see Luke Skywalker looking at us. He might suspect something's going on," he went on to joke.

"He already did at one point," Mara told him, smiling. "He overheard you saying to me: _have you told him about us yet?_ At the cantina, remember?"

"Ah, yes," Roger recalled, laughing. "Does he know, though? About you?"

Mara shook her head. "I think I'll tell him tonight. He needs to know before I leave in any case."

"From what I've heard, he's a great pilot," said Roger. "When we've got space, I'd love to have him train with us." He frowned when he saw the look on Mara's face. "You don't look thrilled at that idea."

"It's not that, it's just…" Mara sighed. "I'm scared of ever losing him, you know? Life expectancy isn't high within the _A_, as you know."

Roger smiled sympathetically, taking Mara's face into his hands. "I know what it's like to lose everyone you love. I lost my family to slavery, remember?" Mara nodded. "And you have many friends in the _A_, don't you? Wedge, Talia, Ani, Nolan...to name a few. You've told me so much about them, I feel like I know them myself. And you're scared of losing each and every one of them. But Mara, I'm equally scared of losing you."

"You are?"

"I almost begged you not to go and fight this thing," he admitted. "But I know you have to. I know they need you, as you need them. And-"

"-and they need Luke," Mara finished for him. "As Luke needs them. The _A_ is the purpose he's looking for."

"Exactly." Roger lowered his hands and gently kissed Mara on the forehead. "Now, enjoy tonight and tell Luke everything."

Mara smiled in thanks as Roger left his chair and eventually disappeared through the throng of people. She was so glad she met Roger Stern, he truly was wonderful. But what he said was right. Who was she to stop Luke from doing what he was supposed to do? After all, Anchorhead was chosen by Roger as the location for the Rebel base. Luke was always bound to be involved, even if she never met him. His piloting skills would have got him there alone.

And then, Luke himself approached Mara who looked in deep thought. "Mara?"

"Luke."

"Is everything alright?" he asked, looking troubled. "I saw Roger over here. I thought you...er, and him…" He closed his eyes and bowed his head, struggling to find the words. He was apparently trying to find out if anything had happened between Roger and Mara just then…

"Luke," Mara said gently, reaching out to hold his hand. "It's all fine, OK? It's not what you think." He opened his eyes and she nodded, trying to communicate what she meant without using words. He seemed to understand, and they stared at each other for a few seconds. Mara traced his beautiful face, his bright blue eyes, his blonde hair and felt overwhelmed - proud, happy, sad, lucky; it was all at once. The butterflies returned, and she couldn't help but wonder if he felt anything she was feeling. If he was feeling all of these emotions at once, if he liked her as much as she realised she liked him.

They were broken from their little trance by Luke's friends, when Fixer, who seemed oblivious to the whole thing, invited them up to dance. Many of the partygoers had abandoned the food now in favour of dancing to the live band. Mara decided to lose herself in the music for a bit, as they all danced in the crowded group. Mixed with the drinking and the adrenaline to dancing around, it was a lot of fun and Mara revelled in what could be her last night of normal for a while.

Luke every and now, when he could, placed a hand on Mara's waist and pulled her close, tracing his fingertips on her bare skin. This felt nice, and it gave her goosebumps. They moved in time with this music; once, when she was sure they were far into the crowd that Beru and Owen couldn't see, she turned around and leaned against him, running her fingers down his arms and clutching his hands. She twisted her body slightly so she could see him, and he returned her smile. His breath hitched as they swayed, but eventually they let go of each other - it was just too busy, and they were soon surrounded by their dancing friends.

Eventually, Mara left to get a drink with a Luke, leaving Fixer to embarrass Camie with his dance moves. She saw Windy and the others double over with laughter at the sight. She sat down with Luke as they quenched their thirst, Mara wiping her head with the back of her hand.

"I'll really miss you when you go," he muttered. "I know I've said it before, but I do mean it."

"I know," she assured him. "But let's make the most of the here and now."

"I will," he replied. "I just...can't imagine you not being around. Biggs and Tank have gone, and now you're going too."

Mara smiled apologetically. "This isn't goodbye. I just feel like…" she put a hand on her heart, "I feel like we'll see each other again, definitely. Don't you feel that too?"

Luke seemed to think for a moment, before smiling slowly. "Yeah, I do. Something is telling me it'll be sooner than we expect, too."

"There we go, then." Mara felt it, as if something was telling her that they would see each other after she leaves. It was starting to give her a bit of a headache, so, reluctantly, she pushed away the positive feelings.

She looked up when the music changed. It was a slow song, meaning some sat down, but others - like Beru and Owen - had got up to dance together. Mara turned back to Luke, and she held her hand out for him to take. "Shall we?"

Luke took her hand in response, and they headed over to where everyone was dancing slowly. Luke put his hand on her waist and she took his free hand, and settling her other one on his shoulder. They shared a smile with his aunt and uncle who were near, and laughed at Fixer, who was quite drunk and struggling to dance properly with Camie.

It was exhilarating to be this close to somebody she really liked. Truly, Mara didn't want this night to ever end. "You're a natural," she teased, as they moved slowly.

"Considering I've never danced like this before," he admitted. "You make it easy."

"Well, you're my first dance too," she told him truthfully.

He looked surprised; Mara let go of his hand and slid her hands around his neck, whilst Luke held onto her waist. She played with the ends of his hair and leaned her forehead against his. They both danced like that until the song was over, with their eyes closed and lost in their own thoughts.

Mara let him go when the pace of the music changed. "Thank you for the dance." She noticed Luke's group of friends leaving the hall out the back as Luke thanked her, too. "Shall we go and see what they're up too?"

They followed Luke's friends out into the back garden. Fixer was leading them somewhere, as they hurried up a spiral staircase, eventually coming out onto the rooftop of the council building. It was dusk now, and the twin suns were setting. It looked beautiful. As they talked, Mara became painfully aware that the others were being touchy-feely with their dates, everybody except herself and Luke. He had realised this, too, as he reached out hesitantly towards her whilst Fixer was telling them the latest updates on his and Camie's wedding plans. Mara nodded encouragingly as Luke slowly put his arm around her waist and held her close as they listened. Mara sighed in content and leaned her head into his shoulder.

She shivered, and Luke massaged her arms. It was getting very cool now. Mara sighed sadly, as the others dispersed downstairs, presumably to get more of the free alcohol, leaving Mara and Luke alone. She reluctantly tore herself away from Luke and walked to the railing, leaning against it and watching the sunset on the rooftop. Luke joined her.

They stared at the beautiful view, where the stars were beginning to become visible too. "I wish I could go with you," Luke murmured, not taking his eyes off the horizon. "Get in the spaceship with you, travel to every system in the galaxy, and…"

"And what?"

"And…" he took a breath. "And be someone."

Mara looked at him sadly. "You _are_ someone, Luke." She paused. "You are to me."

He looked grateful at that comment. She sighed, biting her lip. This seemed like a good moment to start telling Luke the truth. They were alone, after all...

"Is everything alright?" he asked her softly. Truth is, she wasn't sure; Mara wanted nothing more than for him to wrap his arms around her again, but he didn't. He kept his arms on the railing, tilting his head slightly to look at her. Mara turned her head to meet Luke's gaze, not answering his question. Her heart was racing, and by the looks of it so was his. Their elbows were touching and Mara didn't know who started moving their head first, but before they both knew it their heads were moving closer together, until-

"I-I c-can't…" Mara whispered, dropping her head when she could see his eyelashes, gripping her fingers on the railing. He looked hurt, and also confused. "It's not that I don't want to, Luke. I want to more than anything."

"Then why?" he asked quietly. "I thought...that there was a chance - for us…"

Mara waited for him to trail off. "Not until you know." His eyes widened, as he's always known that she kept something from him. "There's something you need to know, first."

The tension was heavy, now that it was clear about their feelings. They almost kissed - and that was enough, when no words were said. "You're not..._married_, are you?" Luke asked nervously.

Mara let out a laugh. "No, no, it's nothing like that."

"Then _what_?" She looked at Luke's pleading face and in that moment made her decision.

"I think it's better if I show you. Come on, my speeder's not far." Mara took his hand, and they hurried down the stairs, through the back garden of the council building, the party still going strong. They ran around the building and down a couple of streets until they reached the garages, jumping into Mara's transport. They were off, as fast as Mara could go. When he knew, the secret would finally be out, and she couldn't bear to wait any longer.

"Beggar's Canyon," Luke observed as Mara carried on through the darkness.

"OK, here we are…" Mara pulled into the rock face where the skyhoppers used for training were sitting in a makeshift hangar bay.

Luke leapt out of the speeder and his mouth fell open, staring at the sight. "What-?"

"This way," Mara motioned, leading him into the main control room, the familiar flashing lights from the screens meeting her eyes and the sound of the beeps filling her ears. Luke stared around the room for a few seconds whilst Mara leaned against one of the control desks, folding her arms. She remembered what she told Roger about having personnel constantly stationed here, and assumed that whoever was on duty was in the Rec Room. Unless he or she hears a transmission coming in, they shouldn't be disturbed.

"Where are we?" Luke asked in wonder.

"This is Anchorhead base," Mara explained. "Of the Alliance to Restore the Republic." Luke looked at her in awe. "I'm Commander Kanos. At least, I was."

"_Commander_?" Luke repeated, moving closer to her. He looked around the room again. "Well, this explains _a lot_. You're with the Rebel Alliance!"

Mara smiled. "I am. And that is where I am going when I leave here. They need as many pilots as they can get right now."

Luke nodded in understanding. "Wow…" he breathed. He looked shocked, and Mara couldn't blame him. He never would have guessed that the Alliance had a base in the Outer Rim, especially on a planet such as Tatooine. "So you train pilots here?"

"Yes," Mara replied. "And we also meet up with a black market contact, sending supplies to the Alliance. The Empire doesn't bother with this planet much, so it's been fairly easy to conceal the base."

"I want to join," he says, determined. "You know I hate the Empire. I'm not a bad pilot, I can do it!"

"I know you can," Mara said softly. "As soon as a spot becomes available, I'll make sure Roger takes you on. And that's a promise."

"And then I can join you once I've finished," he continued.

"I'll still come back for you, like I promised, if you haven't finished your training by the time I'm…" She stopped short, not wanting to tell Luke too much. Not yet. "By the time I've completed my missions, I mean."

He exhaled and nodded in relief. "_Commander_…" He grinned. "You're a _commander_."

Mara laughed. "Roger's officially the commander now, but yes, I have that rank," she said. "I command ground forces too, on undercover missions for the Alliance Intelligence and Special Forces. I also fly with the starfighter corps."

"The Alliance has _all that_?"

"It's one hell of a force now, yes."

There was silence for a while, and Mara presumed Luke was taking it all in. "Can I...can I kiss you now?" he asked nervously.

She smiled widely, and held out her hand. He slowly walked over, taking her hand; she pulled him towards her as she continued leaning against the desk, holding his hand tightly. Mara turned serious. "Luke...I might not come back. I might not make it."

"Don't say that," Luke whispered. "Please don't."

He caressed her cheek gently with his free hand. "You're trembling," she murmured.

"Probably…"

She barely heard him as finally, _finally_, she felt his lips touch hers. It was gentle and he lingered for a couple of seconds. Mara guessed it was his first, so she was the first one to move her lips, and he soon followed her lead. She placed her hands on his cheeks to pull him closer, and he clutched at her waist, massaging her hips and her back. They eventually broke apart, breathing heavily, the tips of their noses touching. It felt..._amazing_, he tasted wonderful, and everything she had felt for him up until this moment had magnified.

Mara kept her hands on his cheeks and looked at Luke. "Now is probably the time to tell you, Luke, that I truly like you. I like you _a lot_."

He grinned, looking a little flushed and breathing heavily. "I like you too, Mara. So much. I...can't believe it."

She sighed in relief, glad that everything was out in the open now. Luke pulled her into him, and she clutched onto him, inhaling his scent as he played with her hair that was beginning to fall out of her bun.

Luke pulled away and held Mara's hands. "So, what happens now?"

"I don't know," Mara admitted. "I guess we spend as much time together as possible until we see each other again. I think that's all we can do."

She leaned in to kiss Luke, and he gladly received it. They stood that way for a while longer, their limbs entangled. At one point, they sat down on one of the couches, holding onto each other and talking about everything and nothing; soon they reluctantly decided to go back to the party, in case they were missed.

However, little did they both know that that would be their first and last time alone together. Mara wondered why they held each other tightly that night, but deep down they both knew events bigger than themselves were coming to a head far quickly than they would have liked.

_Because in the next few days, everything changes._

Author's Note: I've honestly been working on this chapter for what feels like forever! It's been re-written about five times. But I think I'm finally happy with it...let me know what you guys think, this is an essential chapter for feedback. It hasn't been properly edited as I was desperate to finally get this story updated, so ignore mistakes for now! Thanks :)


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

It was the morning after the Council's party. Mara, with her feet up on the desk in Anchorhead base, was inspecting the control panel in front of her. She couldn't help but smile every now and then, because Luke Skywalker popped into her head and she thought of the previous evening, wishing she could live it all over again. Mara looked at the sofa where they had sat together, across the way from where she was sitting now. They had returned to the party, but didn't have much longer together as Luke's aunt and uncle wanted to leave. Mara followed them outside and bade goodbye to the family; Luke hesitated, but squeezed her hand before jumping into their transport. It all seemed so long ago, considering it was only yesterday. She didn't even know someone like Luke could even exist - he was never ashamed of anything in his life, not afraid to dream of bigger things, but didn't aspire to be a man like Biggs. He was Luke, and he was sure of himself, sure that Mara liked him for _him_.

"Kanos!" She sat up immediately, smiling as she saw Dak run into the room. "Mara, there you are. There's an urgent message request from the General for you."

She nodded. "Alright. Thank you Dak."

Mara headed to the area where they make their transmissions and soon enough General Dodonna appeared, though somewhat slightly blurred. She breathed a sigh of relief, thanking the stars that they had finally heard from the Alliance. Deep down she worried that something terrible had happened.

"Commander Kanos. Can you hear me alright?"

"Loud and clear, General."

"Good. I'll cut straight to it, Kanos, you are to come back _immediately_. After significant gains have been made we think a crucial victory may be ours; we are waiting for a final word on the outcome, but so far it is looking good. We need everybody on standby _now_."

Mara swallowed heavily. She had told Luke that they had some time together before she left… "What victories, General?"

"Some of our boys are currently on a mission to Danuta, and rebel operatives there have retrieved plans from a secret Imperial base in the city of Trid. Last we heard Princess Leia was waiting for the plans to be transported to her aboard the _Tantive IV_ by the shuttle _Maria_. Another special forces team are, as we speak, smuggling plans out of Polis Massa that were taken during a prison break on the Death Star itself."

"Wow," Mara breathed. "What do we know of these plans? Are they technical data readouts? Will they give us a weakness?"

"We know that with all of this information, we will know everything about this Death Star, and I am confident that a weakness will be found," Dodonna replied. "When Princess Leia has received the plans from Danuta, she is to fly straight to Toprawa and receive another transfer of plans from an Imperial defector. The Star Destroyer _Immortal_ unfortunately detected our Star Cruiser _Liberty_ so we have no choice but to send Leia."

"Her diplomatic immunity can only last so long General," Mara warned. "How many mercy missions does the Empire believe she's really going on?"

"Sacrifices will be made as necessary Kanos," he said firmly. "Otherwise, this Death Star will destroy every planet we're based on and that will be the end of the Rebellion." Mara knew he was right. Many would die getting these plans (as some already have) because that's the way it had to be. "I want you back within the week. Wedge Antilles asked me to inform you that he would personally fly to Tatooine and drag you back if you don't make it in the allocated time."

Mara bit her lip to stop the smile. She had no doubt whatsoever that he would. "Perhaps you should tell Captain Antilles that he should not be so bold, General, as _I_ am the Commander and _I_, unlike him, actually follow orders."

"I cannot argue with that, Kanos."

"I shall see you soon then, Sir."

He faded away, and she sighed. Telling Luke she was leaving so suddenly would be the hardest part, for sure. Mara knew that going back is the right thing to do; she was desperate to know whether the Alliance was even a bit ready for a potential attack on the Death Star. And of course to see her friends again. Talia, the mechanic, Ani, the soldier, and Nolan, the politician. She doubted Nolan was on Yavin, as wherever Mon Mothma was he usually was there too. And then she would see the pilots, her comrades - Wedge especially.

_Wedge._

Before she had even met Luke, of course there was that _something_ that was between herself and Wedge. And last time she saw him, she had kissed him. She groaned as she walked through the base to the Rec Room, thinking about it. What a stupid idea, looking back. It probably got his hopes up. She liked kissing him, after all he's a hotshot pilot, but kissing Luke was just something else entirely.

"Hindsight's a wonderful thing," Mara muttered irritably.

She updated the rookies on the Alliance's progress, and informed them that she was leaving for good. She exchanged hugs and warm goodbyes with everybody, including the new commander Roger, but said she would be back in the morning to gather her things and complete some last bit of work.

All too soon Mara was in her speeder, heading for Luke's home. She couldn't wait to see him, but of course she would be delivering the bad news…

She pulled up to see him working outside on a moisture vaporator. She smiled as he was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't notice her at first. He was swearing softly at the stubborn and uncooperative valve adjustor.

"Hey Luke," Mara called, reaching the two figures.

He instantly lit up, the frustration leaving his features and the predicament leaving his mind. "Mara!"

They embraced, but Luke soon frowned, taking her hand. "What is it? Something's troubling you." She couldn't help but smile a little at that. He knew her so well. Mara opened her mouth, but Luke beat her to it. "You're leaving, aren't you." It was more a statement than a question.

"How-?" Mara stopped, and then sighed, leaning against the metallic vaporator. It didn't matter how he guessed. "Yes. In a couple of days." Luke nodded slowly, letting go of her hand and turning away. There was an uneasy silence for a few seconds. "Luke, please don't be mad at me."

Luke took her hands in his own again. "I could never be mad at you, Mara," he assured her. "I just...I just thought we had more time together, that's all."

"Yeah, I did too," she admitted. "I received my orders earlier to return within the week."

"Can I at least see you before you go?" he asked her hopefully. "You've got a couple of days, right?"

"I'll try," she promised. "You should come to my apartment, maybe tomorrow night. We can be alone. I'll let you know if I've got everything ready by then."

Luke nodded. "It's not _fair_," he said quietly, his shoulders slumping.

"I know," she soothed, caressing his cheek. "But it's something that I have to do. I'll be with you, Luke, always." She placed a hand over where his heart is. "And as I said before, I'll come back for you."

He smiled sadly. "I can't remember what my life was like without you in it," he admitted. "I'll think about you everyday. And I'll be proud that you're out there somewhere, fighting the Empire."

Mara sighed sadly, wondering how she got so lucky. "Oh, Luke…" She took his face in her hands and kissed him, it turning into quite a passionate one. They broke apart, their lips still slightly touching, and Mara touched her tightening stomach. They were both sweating under the sun but it was more than the heat that had their pulses racing. Their relationship had been innocent up until now, but Mara wondered what it would be like with Luke, if they were intimate with each other...

"I have to go," Mara murmured. "I wanted to tell you the news, but I've got some things to sort out at the base before I can leave."

"Alright," Luke sighed, as Mara stepped away slightly. "Just _please_ let me see you before you go."

She nodded, and turned to return to her speeder, feeling him watching her. He had looked practically heartbroken; she couldn't bear to turn around and see his face again.

* * *

"Biggs!" Mara smiled widely at the sight of her friend and fellow Rebel, who was looking as cool as he always does, leaning against the doorframe of the Rec Room. He copied her smile and opened his arms wide, which she accepted gladly and hugged him tightly. Mara guessed somebody from Yavin instructed Biggs where he could find their hidden base. "It's so good to see you, what a nice surprise!"

"Hey Mara," he greeted. "I'm glad I caught you before you left. Can I still have that ride back?"

"Sure, I'm leaving in a day or so," Mara replied. "So what's happening in Yavin then? Is everybody on high alert?"

"Yeah, and don't we know it," Biggs groaned, as they settled down on a couch, helping themselves to a drink. "I'm surprised I was even allowed to take leave. But I promised I wouldn't be long and I would return with you...speaking of which, Antilles wanted me to pass on the message that he would come and -"

"-drag me back, yeah, I know," Mara finished. "For heaven's sake, how many people is he passing that message onto?"

Biggs smiled innocently. "The whole base is probably aware by now. I don't think he likes flying without you out there next to him. You know they say that Corellians have rocket fuel for blood? I'm starting to believe that now I've met you two."

Mara smiled at that. "Well, I've seen my own blood and I can assure you it's normal. Same goes for Wedge."

Biggs laughed. "I'll take your word for it."

"So when did you arrive anyway?"

"Only an hour or so ago, I had to take three different ships mind you," he grumbled. "Obviously I couldn't fly my X-Wing here."

"And what're your plans?" Mara asked.

"I'm seeing my family first," Biggs replied. "I want to see them one last time, just in case…" Mara nodded and smiled sympathetically. "And then I'll surprise Luke."

"He'll be so happy to see you."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Yesterday," Mara sighed. "I told him I was leaving in a couple of days. I also told him about me, by the way...I told him everything."

"Did you mention me?" Biggs asked.

"No, no, of course not," Mara assured him. "The less Luke knows about it all the safer he'll be. I've only told him that I'm required to go on missions, I haven't mentioned anything else. Certainly not the Death Star; there's no use worrying him."

Biggs nodded, looking satisfied. "Good. I'm going to tell him that I'm about to jump ship and join the Alliance. As you said, the less he knows, the better." Mara nodded sadly, biting her lip. The usual feelings of doubt crept up on her, as she tried to remember that she had felt she would see him again; Luke had felt it too. Biggs noticed her change in features. "So...you and Luke...did you finally tell each other?"

"Yes," Mara answered quietly, not noticing Biggs's face light up. "But I'll be leaving and Luke...well, he's not going anywhere for a while if his uncle has anything to say about it."

Biggs sighed in annoyance. "I'm not surprised." Tentatively, he continued, "You know, you should probably tell Wedge that you've met someone else, just in case he...er, or you-"

Mara sighed. "He doesn't need to know. Why tell him something like that before we all go off and fight the Death Star?"

"Surely you would want to, if you like Luke so much?"

"I know Luke's your friend but it's not as black and white as that," Mara retorted. "In another life, in another universe, maybe it would be me and Wedge. Actually, I'm sure of that. So he doesn't need to know, yet."

"Alright, alright," Biggs said, holding his hands up in a mock surrender. Well, Mara couldn't live with herself if she hurt Wedge...not yet. But she wasn't in a relationship with Luke because they couldn't be, so, until they meet, if that ever happens, or anything else changes then of course Mara will tell him.

There was a time and a place, though. And this crucial time in this civil war was certainly not it.

"So, what have you been up to then?" asked Mara, changing the topic of conversation.

Biggs smiled, but nevertheless answered her question. "My main assignment has been protecting Base One." He referred to the Great Temple on Yavin 4. Mara remembered well when she first arrived into Yavin, having been directed there from the abandoned base on Dantooine. The engineers were finishing up their job of converting it into a base of operations, and Mara didn't envy their task. The building was _huge_. "I've been put in charge of keeping a lookout. I think my successes so far had earned me that."

"Well deserved." And she meant it. When the General updated Mara, he always mentioned Biggs in some form or another.

"Well, I had best get going," said Biggs, getting up and Mara following suit. He hugged her again. "I'll be back tonight after I've seen everyone."

"I hope today goes well for you," Mara said, and meaning it. It'll be hard, seeing everyone for what could be the last time. Seeing everyone and not being able to tell them the whole truth. She saw a bit of sadness take over Biggs's features briefly before he swept away his vulnerability.

After saying their goodbyes, Mara sat down and swallowed, feeling her stomach tighten. She thought of Luke, of Biggs, of Wedge, of that damned Death Star, of everything. Her mind raced, and she wished in that moment that they could all just be normal friends with no Galaxy to protect.

She thought of Biggs saying his goodbyes to his family, she thought of Luke waiting for her to come back but she didn't return, and she never would because she would be nothing but a floating bit of dust in the far reaches of space.

They just couldn't let the Empire continue. They all had their duty to bring it down. This next part of her life would be the real test, Mara knew that.

After exhaling, Mara stood and felt a bit better. Everybody had their moments of pure sadness, and Mara was no exception. Holding her head high, she left the Rec Room for what would be the final time, promising she would remember every single detail of her base. This was her first assignment as commander of a base of operations, and she traced her fingers across the canyon walls as she headed for the control room, feeling nostalgic.

The memories of her stay on Tatooine helped her to smile again.

* * *

Luke Skywalker was, as he had been yesterday, trying to fix yet another moisture vaporator. This time, he had the Treadwell helping him, a repair droid - but currently it fumbled awkwardly at the damaged section as only three of the six robot arms were actually functioning. Luke always found it ironic how the repair droid always needed constant maintenance work itself.

He wiped his brow and looked up at the sky, thinking about Mara and feeling the empty pit in his stomach. It pained him so that she was going so soon. She had promised to see him tonight, but she hadn't been in touch...though his gut had told him that he would see Mara again, he still felt terrible that she was leaving. After all, she's the only girl he's liked so much - it felt intense. And the way she had kissed him yesterday…

But then something in the sky caught Luke's attention. A small, intense gleam of light had caught his eye. He slipped the macrobinoculars from his utility belt and focused the lenses skywards. His eyes widened and his chores were forgotten; Luke clipped the binoculars back onto his belt and dashed for his landspeeder. He jumped in and gunned the engine, which whined in protest, and sand erupted behind him as he aimed his craft at Anchorhead.

Luke zoomed through the quiet streets of Anchorhead, the sandflies scattering at the sound. Eventually he pulled up outside Tosche Station, rushing inside to find his friends. "Hey, shape it up, you guys!"

Fixer was sat sprawled in a chair behind the station's control desk, and Camie was on his lap; Luke ran into another room, Deak and Windy looking up from their computer-assisted pool game. However he stopped short, startled at the presence of a burly older man who had neatly clipped hair and precision-cut uniform.

"Biggs!"

"Hey, Luke!"

The two old friends embraced each other warmly, grinning. "I didn't know you were back! When did you get in?"

"Just a little while ago," Biggs replied as they let go of each other, Luke admiring his uniform. "I wanted to surprise you, hotshot. I never expected you to be out working, I thought you'd be here with these other two nightcrawlers!" He laughed easily, sounding confident as he normally does, though also slightly smug.

Luke laughed too. "Oh the Academy didn't change you much," he commented. "But you're back so soon! What happened, didn't you get your commission?"

He thought that Biggs was being a bit evasive about it all when he said, "Of course I got it. Signed to serve aboard the freighter _Rand Ecliptic_. First Mate Biggs Darklighter, at your service." He grinned again. "I just came back to say goodbye to all you unfortunate landlocked simpletons."

They laughed, but Luke suddenly remembered what had actually brought him here in such a hurry. "Oh I almost forgot," he told them, his excitement returning, "there's a battle going on right here in our system. Come and look!" Some of the others protested but Luke insisted, "Hell, I'm serious, it's a battle all right!"

With a few more words and shoves, Luke managed to cajole everybody out into the strong sunlight, Camie in particular not looking too happy with being dragged outside. Luke had his macrobinoculars out once again, searching the sky before fixing on a certain spot and saying, "I told you, there they are."

Biggs moved alongside Luke and reached for the binoculars, the others straining their unaided eyes. What he made out was two silvery specks against the dark blue. "That's no battle, hotshot," Biggs decided, lowering the binocs. "They're just sitting there. Two ships, alright - probably a barge loading a freighter, since Tatooine hasn't got an orbital station."

"There was a lot of firing - earlier," Luke added, his enthusiasm faltering. Camie tried to grab the binocs for herself, accidentally banging them against a support pillar; Luke snatched them back away from her, checking it for damage. "Take it easy with those!"

"Don't worry so much Wormie," she sneered.

"I keep telling you Luke," said Fixer, who had stepped in between the two of them, "the rebellion is a long way from here. I doubt if the Empire would even fight to keep this system. Believe me, Tatooine is a big hunk of nothing."

Everyone began fading back into the station, and Luke eventually followed them, but not without glancing back one last time and up to the distant specks. One thing he was sure of were the flashes of light he had seen between the two ships. Luke thought how he knew Fixer was wrong: the rebellion _was_ on this planet, and when he saw Mara that night he would definitely ask her if she knew what was going on...

"...I was _so close_ I thought I was going to fry my instruments," Luke was telling Biggs excitedly. "I shut off my power, shut off the afterburners, and dropped in low on Fixer's tail." They were walking in the shade outside the power station. Fixer had finally started on some repairs and the sound of metal being worked came from inside. "As it was, I busted up my skyhopper pretty bad. Uncle Owen was _furious_, you should have been there! It was fantastic." He was of course talking about when he challenged Fixer to a race and threaded the needle.

"You ought to take it a little easier Luke," Biggs cautioned. "You may be the hottest bush pilot this side of Mos Eisley but those little skyhoppers are dangerous. They move awfully fast for tropospheric craft - faster than they need to. Keep playing engine jockey with one and someday, whammo! You're going to be nothing more than a dark spot on the damp side of a canyon wall."

"Look who's talking!" Luke retorted. "Now that you've been on a few big, automatic starships you're beginning to sound like my uncle. You know you're getting a little soft in the city." They chuckled together, Biggs playfully pushing Luke down a step.

Biggs jumped down too so he was on the same level on Luke, his easygoing tone turning into something warmer. "I've missed you, kid."

"Things haven't been the same without you, Biggs," Luke admitted. "It's been so quiet. I know it's always been quiet, but...well, you know."

"Nah," Biggs said lightheartedly. "I'm sure your mind has been preoccupied with someone else."

Luke looked up at Biggs frowning, and then he turned away, embarrassed, at Biggs's smiling face. "Oh. You mean Mara. Have you seen her yet?"

"No," came the quick reply.

Luke smiled, his cheeks turning slightly red, as he continued to look away. "Mara and me, we're…" Luke paused. "Biggs?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I love her." Luke was still staring into the distance, wondering whether that was true or not, wrestling with the idea in his mind. "Do I love her?"

Biggs laughed slightly, sipping his drink. "You tell me."

"I just feel...I can't explain with words," Luke said quietly, turning his gaze to his friend. "All I know is that it's completely different to anything I've felt before...it's _intense_, and, well, terrifying all at the same time."

"Listen to me Luke," Biggs said seriously, placing a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Kandji, she...I know she was the love of my life. I'd never felt that way about anyone before and certainly not after she died, and I don't think I ever will again." Luke listened intently. "If you know, you just _know_. You don't need to explain it to anyone, because it just _is_. I was robbed of Kandji, and we didn't spend nearly enough time together as we were owed, so all I'll say is to make the most of it. Make the most of her. You just never know what's around the corner."

Luke nodded, taking it all in. It wasn't very often that Biggs mentioned Kandji as it usually pained him too much to talk about her in the past tense, even still now. Luke had missed Biggs and his wisdom, but he _had_ navigated the tricky path of being with a girl for the first time on his own.

"She's leaving soon Biggs," Luke told him sadly. "I mean, in a day or two soon. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, if anything. This is her path, I can't ask her not to go."

"That's right," Biggs agreed, admiring Luke's adult attitude. "You can't. But you can tell her before she does leave that you will be waiting for her to return, or you'll join her as soon as you can, wherever she'll be."

Luke bit his lip. "But Mara knows that already."

"What I mean is, make sure that you're both clear on...staying _true_ to each other."

"Oh, right," Luke muttered. "I don't want to meet anybody else. I can't speak for Mara of course, but Biggs I know she feels about me the way I feel about her. I know she does."

Biggs shrugged. "Of course. But everyone has a past, Luke, and she's a well travelled girl, is she not? There was probably someone she used to like, before she met you." Luke titled his head, feeling his stomach drop. He couldn't even bear to think about that. "I'm just guessing scenarios here, but you probably changed everything. If she's ever liked anyone else, then it'll pale into insignificance if she loves you too."

Luke smiled at that, but it faded again as Biggs continued to look unaccustomed solemn. They were both still ambling outside the station, and everybody else was still inside. "Biggs, what is it?"

"Luke, I didn't come back just to say goodbye, or to crow over everyone because I got through the Academy." He hesitated, looking unsure of himself. "I shouldn't tell you this, but you're the only one I can trust. I may never come back, and I want somebody to know. I can't tell my parents."

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked quietly, gulping a little.

"I'm talking about the talking that's been going on at the Academy - and other places, Luke. Strong talking. I made some new friends, outsystem friends. We agreed about the way certain things are developing, and -" his voice dropped conspiratorially - "when we reach one of the peripheral systems, we're going to jump ship and join the Alliance."

If Luke hadn't have met Mara and found out about her, then he was sure he would have shouted '_The Rebellion?!'_ at Biggs. Instead he muttered it quietly, trailing off. He wondered why Biggs didn't seem surprised at Luke's reaction either… _Should I tell him about Mara? _"How?"

"A friend of mine from the Academy has a friend on Bestine who might enable us to make contact with an armed rebel unit."

"A friend of a…" Luke repeated. "Are you sure about that? You could wander around forever trying to find a real rebel outpost. Most of them are myths and this twice removed friend could be an imperial agent! You'd end up on Kessel, or worse. If the rebel outposts were easy to find the Empire would have wiped them out years ago."

"It's a long shot, but we'll do what we can." A newfound maturity twinkled in his eyes. "I joined the Academy to become a Merchant Marine. Well I'm not waiting around for the Empire to conscript me into the Starfleet. In spite of what you hear over the official information channels, the rebellion is growing, spreading. And I want to be on the right side - the side I believe in. It's what we always talked about, Luke." His voice altered unpleasantly. "You should have heard some of the stories I've heard, learned of some of the outrages _I've_ learned about. The Empire _may_ have been great and beautiful once, but the people in charge now -" He shook his head sharply. "It's rotten, Luke, rotten."

"It's been getting worse here," Luke told him. "You know the Academy entrance exam is mandatory now? So what you're saying about conscription is probably right. And the stormtroopers who are stationed here don't bother helping any of us out, especially when it comes to the Sandpeople. They don't care." He kicked a stone irritably. "I can't do a damn thing. I'm stuck here."

"You'll have your chance to get off this rock," Biggs said, somewhat positively. "Especially if you're still going to the Academy next term."

"Not likely," Luke said derisively. "I had to cancel my application." He looked away, unable to meet Biggs's disbelieving stare.

"What for?" Biggs asked. "Did Mara ask you not to?"

"My uncle needs me."

"Oh Luke," Biggs started, shaking his head and disregarding the excuse.

"I'm serious!" Luke protested. "There's been a lot of unrest among the Sandpeople since you left, Biggs. They've even raided the outskirts of Anchorhead."

"Come on Luke," Biggs sighed. "Your uncle could hold off a whole colony of Raiders with one blaster."

"From the house sure," Luke agreed, "but Uncle Owen's finally got enough vaporators installed and running to make the place pay off and he can't guard all that land by himself. I have to stay one more season. I can't run out on him now. Not for the Academy, or Mara…"

"What good is all your uncle's work if it's taken over by the Empire? I've heard that they're starting to imperialize commerce in all the outlying systems. It won't be long before your uncle and everyone else on Tatooine are just tenants slaving for the greater glory of the Empire."

"That's not going to happen here," Luke objected with some confidence. "As Fixer said - the Empire won't bother with this rock."

"Things can change," Biggs warned. "Only the threat of the Rebellion keeps many in power from doing certain unmentionable things. If that threat is completely removed - well, there are two things men have never been able to satisfy: their curiosity and their greed. There isn't much the High Imperial bureaucrats are curious about."

Both men stood in silence, as a sandwhirl traversed the street, collapsing against a wall. "I wish I was going," Luke finally said sadly. He glanced up. "Will you be around long?"

"No. I'll probably be leaving in a day or so."

"Oh. I guess I won't see you."

"Maybe someday," Biggs declared, brightening up and grinning. "I'll keep a lookout for you, hotshot. Try not to run into any canyon walls in the meantime."

"If...if nothing else comes up I'll go the Academy the season after next," Luke tried to assured him, but not sure whether he ever will now, truthfully, he's met Mara. He would much rather join her and Biggs in the Rebellion. "And after that, who knows? I won't be drafted into the Starfleet, that's for sure. Take care of yourself. You'll always be the best friend I've ever had." They shook hands, Biggs nodding.

"So long, Luke."

Biggs turned, and strode away, Luke wondering whether he should have come clean about knowing a real rebel base. But, Biggs hasn't jumped ship yet, and Mara might not like Luke telling him about them. He had an uneasy feeling: what if Biggs is caught and interrogated, and gives up the Anchorhead base? Hopefully, this was for the best… maybe he'll even see Biggs with the rebels one day.

One day, in the far future.

Biggs would absolutely love to find the rebels on his own, to say he did it on his own, Luke knew that about his best friend. He had disappeared around the corner and back into the station, and Luke decided once and for all not to tell him about who Mara really is.

Thinking about Mara, Luke realised she still hadn't come to see him yet. _Is she even still here? If so, will I see her again?_ He couldn't believe he was saying emotional goodbyes to the two people he was closest to in his life, save for his aunt and uncle, in the space of two days.

Luke's continued thinking about everything, his thoughts chaotic and frenetic - but he wouldn't know until much later on that earlier, he really did see a space battle. And Mara herself was involved right in the middle of it.

* * *

Author's Note: Oops! I sort of fell off the face of the Earth when it comes to FF, didn't I? :P I work full time now I've finished Uni, and I often work horrendous fourteen hour days (WHY DO I AGREE TO THESE THINGS). Anyway I finish my job in two weeks time and I'm off travelling in January!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) it was going to be longer but I stopped it here because I finally logged into my email account that's linked to this site, and saw a couple of messages from you lovely lot asking me when I'm coming back so I decided to update this tonight! So the next chapter has already been started and I think I've said before, I've written a detailed plan of everything so I know what I'm writing...I've just got to beat this constant fatigue! I hope you're all well though :) thank you all for waiting and reviewing and messaging me xxxx


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

A distress signal.

_A distress signal._

What the hell?

Mara stared at the control panel, her eyes wide as she considered the possibilities. Who knew about them? Why were they sending for help? What were they playing at, endangering the lives of everyone at Anchorhead Base? Mara began drumming her fingers against the desk, pondering her decision. Should she engage, should she reply?

Most, if not all, of the pilots were around her, in an uncomfortable silence, save for the mocking beep coming from the screen. They looked at her, probably thankful that they didn't have to make the decision.

_But she did._

Mara chewed her bottom lip and looked around, finding Dak. "Ralter, use someone's binocs and see if you can see anything up there."

"Yes commander."

Mara didn't bother correcting him, but as Roger was away meeting Ezra Bridger for supplies, Mara was now back in charge. Plus she had much more experience when it came to this kind of thing. Dak left the room, and Mara, with a little help from her fellow pilots, began trying to probe the system, to see if she could find out the name of the ship, or anything, about who had sent the transmission.

"Commander? You should see this."

Mara nodded, leaving her post and following Dak outside. He pointed in the direction he wanted her to look at, Mara taking the binocs and aiming them in the right direction. She swallowed heavily at the sight of what was clearly firing between a couple of ships. Something was going on, alright.

She returned the binoculars to Dak, thanking him quietly. She hurried back into the base, returning to her spot - one of the pilots had decoded who sent the message.

And it made her heart stop - It was the _Tantive IV._ Leia was supposed to be on that ship. With stolen Death Star plans, no less.

"The _Tantive IV_?" asked a pilot aloud from behind her somewhere.

"Princess Leia of Alderaan is supposed to be on that ship," Mara explained to them. "She is...or was supposed to receive a couple of transmissions...Death Star plans. What she's doing coming to Tatooine, I don't know. If the Imperials are here, then we can't send any messages to the Alliance. It's at a big risk of being intercepted. We're on our own." Murmurs spread around the room, as they all realised what this meant. "I'm willing to bet that Leia is under attack from a Star Destroyer, or something as bad. We can't help her, we only have three starfighters suitable...we only have mainly skyhoppers, and as repulsor crafts space flight is impossible."

Dak ran breathlessly back into the room. "The firing has stopped," he reported to them. "Now they're just...sort of sitting there."

Mara dreaded to think what that meant for everyone on board the _Tantive IV_, but her thoughts were cut short as another transmission came in. Mara and everybody else turned back around to the screen slowly.

It was Imperial. It was an order from an Imperial agent, calling from the Star Destroyer _Devastator_.

"Shut it down! Mara yelled, not even bothering to read the orders. "Shut it ALL OFF NOW!" She threw herself at the screen, disabling everything and anything. The other pilots were turning off all of their signals and anything transmission-based, until the room was left with just the lights hanging from the ceilings.

It was at that moment that the new commander Roger Stern hurried into the room, probably hearing the commotion from the entrance to the base. "What _is_ going on?"

"Roger," Mara said breathlessly, hurrying over to him and putting her hands on his shoulders. "Order the evacuation, now. Our position has been compromised. It won't take them long to find us."

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain everything," Mara assured him, "but we need to start the evacuation _now_."

Roger looked at her with all the trust in the world, and shouted for everybody to start evacuating the base, starting with the important equipment and ships they can take back to Alliance headquarters. Mara nodded in content at his orders, and soon all personnel were running to and from rooms, loading their main cargo ship with as much as possible. She even urged everyone to make sure they had their personal effects with them, such as holograms of loved ones and the like. _Those sorts of things cannot be replaced, but equipment can be, _someone had once told her wisely.

Mara explained to Roger what had happened, and they both assigned themselves to permanently deleting data and files from their computers. "I could do with blowing this room up," Mara admitted to Roger, half-joking - it would save a hell of a lot of time. "But we haven't got the power, and it'll draw attention to ourselves anyway."

A little while later, whilst evacuation was well underway, Biggs Darklighter arrived and headed straight for Mara, who was helping with the stowing away of their hoppers. "Mara," he greeted darkly.

"Oh good you're back," she said breathlessly, wiping her forehead. Judging by the look on his face, Mara guessed he knew, or had seen the ships firing in the sky at least.

Biggs nodded to confirm the guesses in her mind. "Luke saw the firing earlier, actually," he explained. "So it was a rebel ship then?"

_Luke._ Mara stopped suddenly, realising she had completely forgotten about him amidst the panic; she was supposed to be seeing him that night...well, that certainly wasn't happening now. "Oh yeah, Leia bloody Organa's ship. We're pretty sure that their ship fell under attack, and the Star Destroyer _Devastator_ saw their distress signal they sent us. Or they were the ones that sent it in the first place, I don't know, but we have no choice but to get out of here."

"Listen, some of the locals were saying that Stormtroopers had been spotted out in the Jundland Wastes," Biggs said quietly, so as not to startle the others.

"_Stormtroopers_?" Mara hissed. "If they've defeated the _Tantive IV_ then why are they sending troops down to the planet for? Not just to find us, surely..." She stood in thought for a moment, trying to piece all of the events together. "But you know what this means, don't you?"

"What?"

"If Stormtroopers have been ordered down here then it's likely this planet will be blockaded too. It'll be a lot harder for us to leave."

Biggs nodded solemnly, watching Mara with concern - she was looking very distressed, something very out of character for her. She was usually calm under pressure. "I'll take over from here," he said quietly, moving her hands away from the skyhopper she was currently moving.

Mara thanked her fellow pilot and hurried away to give out commands to the personnel. Doing a headcount, Mara was satisfied everyone was there - Dak Ralter was to fly the cargo ship, _Nova Prince_. Merrick Simms and Turland Hack, her two most experienced pilots, and in charge of the training, were to fly their only A-Wing's to help protect the cargo ship - they were provided by Bridger from the Black Market and Mara hoped they would actually work; they certainly looked battered. Nala Hetsime and Cinda Tarheel were to fly their only X-Wing's alongside Nova, Hack and Simms, and Mara told them that they have no choice but to be ready to make the transition from Hopper to X-Wing, even with no astromech droids to help manage its weapon systems. Everybody else, with the exception of Mara, Roger, and Biggs, will board the cargo ship and sit in the makeshift lounge area they had created away from the equipment and hoppers. Mara was to take her own ship that was still sat in a hangar in Mos Eisley.

Once everyone knew their own job and what equipment they were boarding onto _Nova_, Mara stood at the entrance to their base, relishing in the silence of the canyon. It was almost _too_ quiet, and also getting very dark. Biggs approached and stood by her quietly, allowing Mara to continue thinking of her plan.

"We'll have to wait until morning to leave," she decided. "It's not worth it to try and navigate the canyon at night. I only hope we can last until then…" Mara sighed sadly, staring at the stars. "I sure hope Leia is alright."

"She's tough," Biggs said firmly. "It'll take a lot to break her."

Mara certainly agreed with that.

"I know this isn't the time," Biggs started slowly, "but are you going to see Luke?" Mara made a noise as she began to speak, but she closed her mouth and wondered whether she would have time. If all had gone to plan, Mara would have been with Luke right now, spending their last night together. "He's devastated you're leaving."

"I know."

"Commander!" Mara turned sharply at the sound of one of her distressed pilots. "We think there may be a problem with _Nova's_ hyperdrive."

She swallowed heavily, feeling her heart drop into her stomach. "That's the last thing we need," she grumbled, trying to ignore the pang of hunger and sting of fatigue, following the rookie back inside.

It turned out that it took most of the night to finish the complete evac and fix the hyperdrive. Mara fiddled with one final control in the cockpit before feeling satisfied and confident that Nova would make the jump to hyperspace. Some light began to flood the entrance bay of their base - no more time could be wasted.

Rubbing her tired and sore eyes, Mara ran around the base for the last time, checking every room for anything they may have left behind, ushering every man and woman she saw onto the ship. Once all bodies were accounted for, Mara stepped up the ramp and faced her fellow rebels, Hack, Simms, Hetsime and Tarheel standing by her side.

"Dak and his co-pilots have been given coordinates for Yavin 4, one of the main rebel bases," Mara explained to them. "However if you are pursued then Dak will reroute you to a secondary location I have provided." She paused, looking around at all of the nervous faces. "Thank you all so much for your cooperation last night and this morning. I'm sorry our hard work has to end this way. Finally - good luck. I don't know what's waiting out there, if anything, but … may the Force be with you."

Mara headed back down the ramp, turning one last time and watching as the faces eventually disappeared behind the closing doors. The pilots jumped into their A and X-Wing's, waiting patiently for _Nova_ to begin its ascent out of the base.

Suddenly, the three of them left standing were startled by shots being fired at them. Throwing themselves on the ground, Mara was relieved to see that nobody was hurt. Shots bounded off of _Nova_ and Hack and Simms shot out of the base like bullets, straight for the source of the blasters, ready to defend their trainees, followed by Hetsime and Tarheel; the familiar red and yellow lights that made the Wing's distinguishable disappeared into the canyon.

Mara couldn't believe their luck at that timing - they had been found, but for the Empire it was too late. _Nova_ was disappearing out of Mara's sight, and despite the incoming fire she crawled to the edge of the opening in the canyon wall, gripping the rock and watching with relief her crew fly away from the stormtroopers below. Her starfighters had easily taken out some of the enemy below, but now had no choice but to retreat and follow _Nova_, as after all that is their mission, not protecting the three of them who had chosen to wait behind.

She could now see the familiar white uniform far down below where they were standing, shooting upwards from their speeders or from their Dewbacks. "Come on! Quickly now, hurry!"

Mara ran into her landspeeder, Biggs and Roger jumping into their own, zooming out of the base and towards the town of Anchorhead. Her heart pounded as a couple of stormtroopers who had their own speeders followed them, seeing bright shots from their blasters fly past her. They knew the canyon better than the troopers, and so the three of them separated, turning sharply this way and that until eventually they were free - Mara felt the heat of an explosion which ended the life of one stormtrooper, and the other must have gotten lost. Thank God for Beggar's Canyon.

"We need to hide our transports," Mara called as she spotted the other two; they slowed down and approached Anchorhead. "They'll be looking for the three of us now."

They parked up in Mara's garage and she locked up, knowing it could be blasted open easily but it seemed more logical than leaving them outside the cafe. "I'm going to my apartment to pick up my things," Mara explained as they hurried away.

"Mara I'm going to see my father, he's got business in Anchorhead today," said Biggs, but already walking away from them. "I'll be back soon I promise, I'll meet you back at the cafe!"

"We need to be quick," Mara muttered to Roger as they entered the cafe, greeting Kay and Windy and disappearing downstairs. "It can't be too long before stormtroopers arrive and search the town."

She grabbed everything and shoved it into the bag she arrived with, then shutting the power down and taking one last look around the place.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

She sighed heavily, running upstairs back to her old cafe and straight to Kay, who frowned at Mara's dishevelled appearance. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Mara replied breathlessly. "Listen I've got to go, today. The apartment downstairs is yours if you want it, as is my speeder. It's in the garage." Kay was stunned by Mara's many goodwill gestures. Well, like Luke and his family, Kay was one of the good ones on this planet and she deserved it.

She also heard Mara's tummy rumble, and so, as a concerned grandparent would do, Kay sat her and Roger down, not taking no for an answer, and gave them some fresh stew and juice, on the house. For which the Rebels were very grateful - it had been a long time since they had eaten.

"I should leave a message for Bridger when we get to Mos Eisley," said Roger, in between mouthfuls. Mara nodded eagerly; she hadn't even thought about him. "And when we get there, I need to head to my place and get my things too."

"Sure." Mara gulped down some refreshing juice, starting to feel slightly better now that she had some food inside her. Even though eating too quickly gave her indigestion. "I hope _Nova Prince_ and the Wing's got out alright." It was all she could think about - it consumed her thoughts.

"They would have," Roger assured her. "Dak is an excellent pilot, and _Nova_ also has some great pilots protecting it. Have faith."

"I just don't know what I would do if anything happened to them..." Mara trailed off, not even bearing to say anymore aloud. Roger squeezed her hand, knowing there was nothing he could say until they found out its fate on their return to Yavin 4.

Mara looked up automatically at the sound of the door opening, sighing in relief to see Luke Skywalker walk in. He, too, looked relived to see her.

She rushed up out of her seat to embrace him. "Mara!" he greeted enthusiastically. "I'm so glad you're OK. When I didn't see you last night, I was worried...I saw a load of firing yesterday, and wondered if you were involved somehow, and-"

Mara, despite it all, couldn't help herself. She grinned. "Luke, slow down." She caressed his cheek, lowering her voice. "I'm fine, but the base has been evacuated. Our location was discovered."

He nodded sadly. "So you're leaving today, then?"

"Yes. I didn't think I would have time to see you, I'm so glad you came to find me."

"I shouldn't even be looking for you at all," Luke admitted, sheepishly. "I'm supposed to be cleaning these two droids Uncle Owen bought from the Jawa's this morning. I sneaked out." Mara chuckled. "If these droids work out fine then I think I can finally talk to them about leaving. Only when they won't need my help, of course."

"I know," Mara said softly. "Your family need you. That's something I admire about you. Will you say goodbye to them for me?"

"Of course."

"Mara?" called Roger, who was getting up from the table. "I'll wait outside for you."

"Ok. Just give me another minute, will you?"

Roger and Luke greeted each other and the former left the cafe, leaving just the young couple. Kay must have been in the back. There was an uneasy silence for a few seconds.

"I guess this is goodbye." Mara paused after saying those words, feeling a huge knot twist inside her stomach. She felt so sick at the thought of not seeing him again for a long time.

"Yeah..."

They stared at each other sadly, not knowing what to say to make the situation any better. "Luke, no matter what happens to me, I'll always be glad I met you." Mara realised in that moment that he had taught her so much, maybe even made her a better person. "Thank you for everything. My time on Tatooine would have been very different if I hadn't known you."

Luke nodded to agree. "Thank _you_ for making my life bearable on this rock," he whispered, as he reached out to her. He pecked her softly on the lips. "_Kriff_, I'll miss you." She smiled at his curse. "You have no idea how much you have changed _everything _in my life."

Mara kissed him deeply, feeling Luke sink into her arms. Eventually, she pulled away and tapped her nose against his. She stepped backwards, their arms still stretched out and fingers still entwined as both were reluctant to let go.

"Mara, I...I..." Luke stuttered and paused. "I - er..."

Mara was absolutely sure that she knew what he was trying to say. She didn't want to hear it because it would make it so much harder than it already was. For the first time in her life, she felt something so intense for somebody else, and they couldn't be together. That was definitely hard enough to deal with.

So, she nodded and turned away to the door, letting go of him. "I know," she whispered. "Goodbye, Luke." She raised her voice as she stepped outside. "See you, Kay."

She left quickly, breathing heavily so she wouldn't start crying, bumping into Biggs who was skulking around the corner with Roger. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just...please don't ask me." If anyone else asked her if she was OK or did something like hug her she was sure she would burst into tears.

Biggs understood, and silently the three of them rushed to the garage. Mara jumped in next to Biggs in his speeder; then, they followed Roger out and into the dusty wasteland, not knowing what, if anything, awaited them.

* * *

80 kilometers later, she and Biggs looked at each other nervously at the sight of an Imperial checkpoint at the main entrance into Mos Eisley. There was a queue of transports waiting for some kind of inspection. They certainly couldn't turn around as that would look suspicious, and the only way they could get off the planet was this spaceport anyway.

Mara nodded at Roger. He was still inside his own speeder, in front of her and Biggs. He had turned around, and she could tell from his facial expression that he wasn't sure what to do. But Mara had indicated that they were going to have to risk it.

All too soon they pulled up next to some stormtroopers; they could see Roger being interrogated by others at the same time. To their surprise, the troopers quickly searched the small speeder, and when satisifed motioned for them to move along.

"Mind telling us what you're looking for?" Mara had asked during the search, but she recieved no response.

"Wait." Mara cursed when Biggs halted. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

The trooper was looking directly at Mara. "No," she replied calmly. "I've never met a stormtrooper before."

"Give me your identification."

Mara fumbled inside her jacket pocket, pulling out her papers that Roger had made for her when she first arrived. She would be sure to thank him for that later - it showed she was related to someone who lived in Anchorhead and she had moved here upon his death.

"Maybe you've seen her in Avalatan's Cafe," Biggs said confidently, giving the trooper one of his wide, dashing smiles. "After all, the Eopie cream pies they make there are absolutely _delicious_."

The Imperial shoved the documents back into Mara's hands, scoffing as he did so. "Get out of here, scum."

As Biggs did not hesitate in leaving quickly, Mara caught sight of some troopers interrogating some locals about their droids. "What is going on around here?" asked an exasperated Biggs.

"I have no idea," Mara replied, biting her lip. "But there is definitely something else going on."

They caught up with Roger, who had also got through the checkpoint successfully, and followed him to his home, luckily in the New Quarter. Which, though still a place full of crime, was a little more tourist friendly than the Old Quarter. Every now and then they passed small garrisons of stormtroopers, some resistance to the increased Imperial presence, more droids being inspected.

"I overheard the stormtroopers talking about looking for two droids," Roger said breathlessly when they had stopped. He ushered them inside his house.

Mara nodded, Roger confirming what she had suspected. Something else had happened, as looking for some Rebels on the run was no longer a priority it seemed, and it involved droids. What happened with the _Tantive IV?_

"I was thinking..." Mara started slowly, as Roger began packing his things in a hurry. "We should stay. For one more day, max. See if we can find out what's going on."

"I knew you were going to say that," Biggs said, sighing, though with a cheeky look on his face. "I'm in. Stern?"

"Sure. It gives me more time to sort my affairs out. Like figuring out what to do with this place." He gestured around his home.

Mara looked at Biggs, returning his smile. "Let's relax here for a while, it's been a mad few hours. And then we'll do what we do best."

"And what is that?"

"Snooping."

Author's Note: I'll confess, I've had most of this written for ages now. But I only got around to uploading it today - oops! I did something crazy and moved to Vietnam, so these last few weeks have been mental. I hope you enjoyed :-) Hanoi has some awesome coffee shop places so I can get lots of writing done now I've bought a keyboard for my tablet. See you soon!


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